Behind
by TaraAnyaKate
Summary: Chapter 16 is up. They discuss the future if Freaky Links
1. Default Chapter

May 10th, 2001

Derek Barnes slowly walked threw his apartment. His bare feet echoed off the cold hard wood floor. He scratched his stomach and went into the kitchen. Derek opened his fridge and pulled out a bottle of milk. He slugged it.

"Didn't your mother teach you to drink from a cup?" Derek jumped dropping the milk. It shattered onto the floor. He looked up to see Lan standing in the doorway.

"Jeez, Lan! Didn't your mother teach you to knock?" He bent down and started to pick up the shards.

"Sorry." Lan said moving to help him. Derek looked up at her.

"What time is it?" He asked.

"Five."

"A.M.?" Lan nodded.

"Yeah. I can't sleep so I thought I'd take another look at that database." She said throwing glass into the wastebasket. "I might have a lead on it."

"Good." He scratched his head. "Candace Newbern needs to sleep at night." Candace Newbern had been stalked for about five months before coming to Freaky Links. Why you ask, Freaksters? Her stalker was a so-called man-bat. Man in the morning. Bat at night. This case intrigued Derek for he had never faced a man-bat before. One evening when taking her children to a restaurant, the man-bat visited Candace and attacked them. It killed her children and Candace was never the same. Derek was able to get a hold of the surveillance camera tapes but they were seriously damaged. It was Lan's job to try to get visible evidence of the Man-Bat. 

"Yeah. I know." Lan washed her hands and looked at Derek, "Sorry for coming over so early."

"No...It's okay." Derek smiled at her. Lan blushed slightly and went to the computer to do her work. She popped the tape in and quickly began to work. Lan glanced behind her to see Derek yawning in the doorway. She smiled. He looked so cute standing there in his boxers and tee. _Get to work girl. Stop fantasizing._ She quietly typed at the computer as Derek placed his hand right next to the computer watching over her shoulder. She could see his muscular arm in the corner of her eye.

"You...ah...You can go back to bed." Lan stuttered. Derek glanced at her.

"No...I'm awake." He said, "having any progress?"

"I just started Derek." She said looking at the screen. Derek smiled and watched her work. Sure, he liked her. Sure, he thought she was gorgeous and sure he knew she had a thing for him, but he couldn't act upon it. They worked together. It would make the work place uncomfortable for Chloe and Jason if he indulged in his fantasies.

"Right." He said.

"Look." Lan pointed at the screen,

"What is that? A wing?" He squinted his eyes looking at it.

"It sure looks like it." She said looking at the fuzzy screen. Sure enough it was a bat wing. Derek smiled brightly.

"You're a computer genius, Lan." He kissed the top of her head. She blushed deeply again.

"Well, I try." She chuckled looking at him. Boxers...clingy tee shirt...sexy. "You should go get dressed." Derek looked at himself.

"Why? Don't appreciate a good pair of tweety boxers?" He asked.

"Oh I do...Just....Ah...Go get changed." Lan said. Derek looked at her.

"You've seen me in my boxers before." He said moving to the chair next to her.

"I know...It's just...I don't know." She quickly started typing again. Derek watched Lan intently. He could see how nervous she was. The glare of the computer illuminated the curve over her nose and chin. So perfect.... Derek took in a deep breath leaning close to her pretending he was looking at the screen. He hooked his finger underneath her chin and pulled her close. He planted his lips upon hers. Lan was taken off guard. It took her a moment to realize what was happening. Derek was kissing her. Derek Barnes the man she's been pining for for awhile was kissing her.

Lan closed her eyes and gave into the kiss. Derek was relived she didn't freak out and murder him. His hand slipped behind her neck as he ran his tongue on the outside of her lips. Lan took a deep breath in and opened her mouth. Without hesitation, Derek plunged his tongue into her mouth. Lan moaned softly placing her hands on Derek's chest. Finally, they were kissing. Finally giving into the tension that had been building up between them. Derek would have taken this further if he didn't hear the front door open and someone clear their throats. Derek and Lan pulled away.

"Did we interrupt?" Chloe asked standing with Jason. They both had huge smiles on their faces. Derek wiped his chin.

"Ah...W-What are you guys doing here?" He asked glancing at Lan who still seemed to be stunned. Chloe chuckled and hung her jacket up.

"Candace's doctors called me and said she's going off the deep end." Chloe said Derek cocked her eyebrow.

"Deep end?"

"Spouting things about Bats being men." She said crossing her arms. 

"All right. Lan, ah.." He began to blush. Jason and Chloe exchanged looks, "I w-want to show Candace the tape and um...Give me the tape. Jason get the cameras and maybe we can get some footage the Freaksters will like."

"I'm one step ahead of you, D." Jason held up a camera.

"Okay...Chloe stay here....and..." Derek scratched his head.

"I had no intentions of going." She smiled sitting on the couch, "If you guys get into trouble...which you probably will, cal me." Derek nodded and grabbed his jacket. Lan looked at him.

"Ah...Derek?" She said.

"W-What?" He stuttered.

"You need clothes before you go or you'll be arrested before you even step through the doors." Lan said with a slight smile.

"Oh...right."

* * *

Jason stared at Derek as they drove.

"What?" Derek asked. Jason chuckled.

"You and Lan were...kissing man." He said.

"Yes...and what of it?"

"I don't know." Jason said looking out the window; "She really lies you DEREK"

"And I really like her...Why do you think I kissed her?" Derek glanced at Jason.

"I don't know." He said, "but if you hurt her, I'm going to have to snap your neck." Derek sighed.

"I have no intentions of hurting her.": He said, "She's one of my best friends...that's why...i was so wary about starting anything with her...I don't want to ruin our friendship."

"I understand that, but you can't let this girl slip through your fingers." Jason said, "She's perfect. She's smart. She's funny. She's extremely hot." Derek smiled slightly.

"I know." He said pulling into a parking space.

"Then what are you waiting for then?" Derek looked at Jason.

"I don't know."

* * *

Chloe stared at Lan intently. So many questions flooded through her brain. Lan glanced at Chloe.

"First off, Lan, Why?" Chloe asked.

"Ah...I don't know. I haven't heard much about this man-bat."

"Ha ha. I'm talking about the kiss." Chloe said, "Why did you kiss Derek?"

"I didn't! Well I did, but he kissed me first." Chloe leaned forward.

"He kissed you first??" She smiled. Lan nodded. "Wow...I would have never thought he would be the first one to. What was it like? No wait...I don't need to know that...What are you going to do about it?"

"What do you mean?" Lan turned in her chair to face Chloe.

"I mean...Are you gong to pursue a relationship with Derek? Are you going to make a move?" Chloe asked with great interest."

"I...I don't know." Lan said scratching her neck. She still could feel Derek's lips upon hers. "I don't want our friendship to change, you know? I mean...I've been dreaming about this moment for a long time and now that it's here...I'm scared."

"What? Why? There's no reason for you to be. Derek is obviously into you." Chloe said, "You'd be stupid to let him go. Derek is a great catch." Lan smiled and crossed her arms.

"And tell me exactly why Derek is a great catch." Chloe cleared her throat.

"Ah...well...ah..." She racked her brain, "Derek is really funny. Ah...He's dedicated. He has a terrific smile...beautiful eyes.... Nice arms." Chloe sighed slipping slightly into her memory of Adam. She shook her head, "And most of all he's caring. He cares about his friends and family. He's a very loving person." Lan bit her lip.

"I know." She said quietly.

"So, what are you going to do Lan?" Chloe asked.

"I...I don't know yet."

* * *

Jason laughed heartily as he and Derek walked back into the apartment. Jason went to the fridge and got an icepack for Derek who sat at the kitchen table. Chloe frowned when she saw a large bump on his head.

"Derek, what happened?" She asked.

"Candace is what happened." Derek snatched the icepack and put it on his head, "I was just asking a simple question and she went bezerk."

"Derek wasn't asking a question. He showed her the videotape." Jason said. Chloe frowned.

"That wasn't smart Derek...but of course you're you." Chloe said with a chuckled.

"Funny." Derek muttered, "We'll go out tomorrow and go on a man-bat search. Interview Candace's enemies, friends, family, whatever."

"Well, since you don't need me..." Chloe said.

"You can go talk to Candace." Derek said looking at her with puppy dog eyes.

"Me? No." 

"Yes you. You're the physiologist." Derek said. "Put that degree to work. You'll be helping her and anyone else that might get attacked by this thing." Chloe sighed.

"Fine. But you owe me." Chloe looked at Jason, "Jason and I are leaving."

"We are?" Jason cocked his eyebrow.

"Yes we are. We have that thing...remember?" She pointed her head towards the living room. It took a moment for it to click into his head.

"Oooooh. The _thing_. Right...Almost forgot." He got up, "I'll see you tomorrow, D."

"Sure." Derek mumbled. In an instant they were gone. Derek sighed still holding the ice pack to his head and went into the living room. Lan was still here. _So that was the thing...._ She was playing solitaire at the computer. When she heard him walk in, she turned around.

"Derek, what happened?" She stood up and moved towards Derek.

"Oh...got attack by some old lady." He said slightly embarrassed.

"I see." Lan nodded. Derek sighed.

"So...ah...What are you doing?"

"Solitaire, but I pulled up a list of Candace's nearby family members." Lan went back to the computer and pressed print. "I also pulled up some police reports of Candace. She had called the police several time last month about her 'stalker' and also her father-in-law was getting violet with her so she says." Derek nodded as Lan handed him the print out.

"Listen, Lan...We need to talk." Derek said looking at her.

"Talk? About what?" She asked. Derek put the ice pack down.

"About...Me kissing you. I shouldn't have done that."

"Oh." Lan looked down at the floor, hurt. "I-It's okay...I um...I should go." Lan quickly gathered up her things. Derek watched her. He watched the tears fill her eyes. She moved for the door.

"Lan, wait." Derek grabbed her hand.

"W-What? Are you going to fire me now?" She asked letting a few tears spill out.

"I'd have to be paying you in order to fire you." Derek said. "I don't want you to go. I want to talk with you."

"You already said you shouldn't have kissed me. What else are you going to say?" Lan looked at him.

"I shouldn't have kissed you... but that doesn't mean I didn't want to. I should have asked you first." Derek said feeling extremely nervous all of a sudden, "I like you a lot, Lan. I mean, I _really _like you, but...I like our friendship...and...I don't want to ruin that." Lan shifted uncomfortably on her feet for a moment.

"So...Are you saying...you'd never...w-want a romantic relationship with me because we're friends?" Lan looked at him.

"No! That's not what I'm saying. I would love...that kind of relationship with you." Derek said.

"Then what are you saying exactly?" Lan's heart pounded. Derek ran his hand through his head.

"I don't know." He said. Lan sighed out of frustration.

"What do you want, Derek? Just tell me." Derek looked up at Lan. He knew the answer to that.

"I want you, Lan." He said softly. Lan felt like she was going to faint. She had always wanted him to say that.

"And....and.."

"And if we can have a romantic relationship without jeopardizing our friendship...I'm all for it." Derek said not really believing these words were coming out of his mouth. "Lan...please stay...With me and try this relationship out." Lan nodded slightly.

"O-Okay." She said barely audible. "Keep the ice on your head." Derek smiled softly.

"Right."

To be continued...


	2. Village of the Damned

Sammy Smith threw his equipment in the back of his van. He was an exterminator. He killed bugs for a living. When he was growing up, he had always wanted to be a policeman, but then he got his girlfriend pregnant with his daughter Susie. He had to give up that dream in order to make money quickly. Susie was now five and the love of his life.

Sammy walked p the steps of his house. He kicked am anthill as he opened the front door. His wife, Elizabeth, was sitting on the couch watching the news. She glanced up when she heard him walk in.

"Hey Sweety." Elizabeth smiled "how was your day?"

"All right. We fumigated three houses." He said kicking His shoes off.

"Aw...come here. Let me give you a nice massage." Elizabeth smiled extended her hands. Sammy smiled at his wife. He really needed to feel her wonderful touch on his tense muscles. Sammy sat in his lounge chair Elizabeth began to knead His skin. He groaned at the sensation.

"Daddy! Daddy!" Susie's cries came from her bedroom. Sammy sighed.

"Go to bed Susie!" He called out.

"There's a monster! Daddy come kill it!? Sammy sighed and got up.

"I'm coming. I'll be back." He kissed Elizabeth's cheek and went to his daughter's room, "Susie, what's wrong?"

"There's a monster. A big ugly monster." Susie whimpered.

"Where?"

"In the corner." Susie pointed across her room. Sammy sighed and walked towards the pitch-black side of the room.

"There's nothing here, Susie. See?" Sammy waved his hand back and forth through the darkness to prove to his daughter there was nothing there when he brushed against something hairy. His heart stopped and he turned around. Two large red eyes stared at him. He tried to run but it was too late. Eight long hairy legs grabbed him. Sammy's screams rang throughout the neighborhood.

* * * 

Still after two weeks, the relationship between Lan and Derek was still a very nervous one. Chloe and Jason thought it was hilarious. Sometimes they would give a quick peck here or there, or Derek would snake his arm around her waist. They both would blush deeply though. The two of them were still scared of jeopardizing their friendship although Jason and Chloe urged them to get closer.

"Why am I here?" Chloe asked picking lint off of her black skirt.

"Ah...because you like being a pest?" Derek chuckled placing a cup of coffee in front of Lan.

"Thanks." Chloe rolled her eyes.

"I am not a pest." She said. Derek shrugged.

"Whatever you say, Chloe." Derek sat in the computer chair next to Lan and watched her work on a database.

"Jason, am I a pest?" She asked. Jason looked up from his bowl of Kix.

"I will not comment on that."

"Guys, stop bickering." Lan mumbled from the computer, "trying to concentrate here."

"Don't you have your own computer at home?" Jason asked. Derek glared at him, "Oh...Right." A soft knock came upon the door.

"Freaky links headquarters." Derek said. Chloe looked at him; "I'm testing out a new name."

"Why not just say, come in?"

"Oh...right...Come in." Derek said. The door opened and Elizabeth Smith stepped in. Derek stood up. "Can I help you?"

"Ah...I hope so." Elizabeth said, "are you the guys from that websites?"

"Yup." Derek said extended his hand, "Freaky links. We deal in the weird and unusual."

"Great." Elizabeth smiled weakly, "I could really use your help." Jason got up from his seat and offered it to her. She smiled and sat down. Derek grabbed the camera to record this, just in case. Chloe looked at her with anticipation.

"So?" Derek looked at her.

"Oh...um...My husband was killed last week." Elizabeth said.

"And you think it has to do with the paranormal?" Jason asked. Elizabeth nodded slightly.

"Um...well...maybe. The police said a person attacked him with a pitchfork." Elizabeth said, "but he wasn't. Sammy just went into our daughter's room because she thought she saw a monster."

"A monster?" Derek was merely intrigued. 

"Yes...but um...She says that a lot." Elizabeth said, "Um...Sammy's body was drained of...all his blood...and...There were...t-two large puncture marks on the top of his head...they made us leave our house.... My d-daughter still insists a monster did it, so that's why I came to you guys."

"To see if a monster really did kill him?" Jason asked knowing that's why she didn't come here. Elizabeth nodded.

"Okay...We will. Jason and I will go to your house and investigate the grounds. Chloe, you go interview the little girl. Lan, pull up the autopsy reports." They all nodded and started to get to work. Derek kissed Lan's cheek and headed out the door. She sighed slightly and started to hack into the Mortician's files.

* * *

Derek held the police tape up for Jason. Te two men walked quietly into the abandoned house. They immediately turned on their cameras and walked up the stairs.

"We're in the Smith's house right now. Sammy Smith's death occurred in heir five-year-old daughter's room." Derek said. "Poor kid." Jason walked into Sammy's bedroom.

"Can you smell that?" Jason sniffed.

"Yeah...What is it?" Derek asked. 

"I don't know. It smells like mothballs." Jason panned his camera around the room.

"I think Susie's room in down the hallway." Derek mumbled. Jason nodded and followed him into the pink fuzzy room. He picked up a Barbie and threw it at DEREK, "Come on don't do that." Jason rolled his eyes at Derek and searched the room. A chalk outline of a body was in the corner.

"Derek, check this out." Jason panned his camera along the outline. "Exactly how do the police think a person with a pitchfork came in here and got Sammy?"

"The police are screwy. Don't you know that by now?" Derek leaned down looking at the corner.

"Yes I know." Jason frowned.

"Hey." Derek picked up a wad of something off the floor.

"What's that?" Jason knelt down.

"Looks like a cobweb." Derek said flicking it off of his fingers, "I guess this exterminator didn't exterminate his own house."

"Yeah. I gu-..Did you hear that?" Jason stood up.

"Hear what?" The front doors slammed and people walked in. "Shit. The cops are here." Derek opened up the walk in closet and pushed Jason in. They shut the lights on the camera off as they heard the police walk into the room.

"Why do we need to come back here? I get the creeps from here." A gruff male's voice said.

"Chief wants us to make sure the scene was clean. Make sure no one left anything behind." A female voice said. Derek glanced at Jason.

"God I know, Rosenberg. I'm not an idiot." The male said. _Female is Rosenberg_, Derek thought.

"I have experiences to prove you wrong on that account, Carter." Rosenberg laughed.

"Funny." Carter said. "I can't find anymore web here. Let's go. This place gives me the creeps. I can feel that thing still here." Jason looked at Derek and mouth _thing_. Derek shrugged.

"There is no thing, Carter, you were imagining things." Rosenberg said walking out of the room.

"Yeah. Sure. Imagining things" Carter mumbled leaving the room. Derek slowly exited the closet and looked at Jason.

"Carter saw something." He said.

"Something that the others are trying to hide." Jason said. Derek paced the room.

"Lan will have to find out who this carter is...and we'll go.."

"Ambush him." Jason said walking out of the room cautiously.

"Ambush is sort of strong." Jason did a close up on Derek. "Oh...I guess it will be an ambush."

* * *

Chloe walked into the hotel Elizabeth and Susie were staying at. Elizabeth had given her an extra key to their room. Chloe knocked on the door and opened it.

"Mrs. Smith? Susie?" She called out.

"Chloe, I'm so glad you made it." Elizabeth walked out of the bathroom with Susie in her arms. The little girl was adorable. Long Blond hair. Huge blue eyes. Fair skin. Chloe smiled at Susie as Elizabeth sat her on the bed.

"Hello. My name is Chloe." She said sitting next to the girl.

"I'm Susie." She said in a quiet voice.

"What is Susie short for?" Chloe asked getting out a pen.

"Susannah." She said looking up, "You have pretty hair."

"Thank you." Elizabeth smiled and walked out of the room.

"Are you here because my daddy is dead?" Susie asked. Chloe nodded.

"Yes. Your mommy asked my friends and I to find out why your daddy died." She said, "and she told me you saw it." Susie shook her head watching Chloe write something down.

"What's freaky links?" She asked. Chloe looked down at the letterhead on the paper. She blushed slightly.

"That's where I work." Susie moved away from her slightly.

"Oh." She said in a small voice, "Where's my mommy? I don't like you anymore."

"I ah...Susie, I really need to ask you Sweety what you saw."

"Nothing. Where's my mommy!!!" She cried. Chloe sighed.

"I'll go get her." She said going outside. Elizabeth walked over to her.

"That was fast."

"She was getting upset. She wants to see you." Chloe said, "Maybe I'll come back tomorrow after she's calmed down a bit." Elizabeth nodded.

"Thank you."

* * *

Lan was pulling up the coroner's report when Derek plopped the cobweb down on top of the keyboard. She jumped slightly.

"Derek!" She cried, "Get those cobwebs off! Ugh!" Lan wiped her hands; "I hate anything to do with spiders." Derek smiled slightly.

"We found that at the scene." He said.

"Found cobwebs. Whoopy." Lan rolled her eyes and turned back the computer. Derek stuck out his tongue.

"I have a feeling these cobwebs are connected some how." Lan shook her head.

"Here's Sammy's report." Derek sat next to Lan as she brought up the photo, "Oh gross." She closed her eyes tightly. Derek stared at it as a flashback tore threw his brain.

__

Ten years old Adam bounced outside looking for his brother. He found him near a large tree out back. Adam crossed his arms as he watched Derek play with an anthill

"Derek, don't do that. Those ants worked on that hill for a long time." Adam said.

"Shut up, Dweeboid." Derek shook his head. "Do you think Ants are smarter than people think?"

"They're definitely smarter than you." Adam laughed. Derek rolled his eyes.

"Adam, look." Derek leaned over and picked up a spider. "Look how long and colourful this guys legs are."

"Be careful. Spiders bit you know." Derek shook his head.

"No they don't." As if on cue, The spider bit down on Derek's finger. Both boys cried out in pain. Derek shook the spider off. "Oh man!" He looked down at his finger and saw no puncture marks or blood, "What the..."

"Oh god. I'm bleeding." Adam whimpered. Derek looked over at his brother to see two small puncture wounds on his finger. Both boys exchanged odd looks. They had experienced weird things before due to the fact that they were twins but this was the weirdest. Derek touched Adam's fingers as his eyes rolled back into his head. Adam fell to the ground.

"Oh god! Adam!" Derek knelt down by his brother. "Mom!! Adams been hurt!!"

Lan looked at Derek who was staring into space. She shook him slightly.

"Derek?" She asked. He shook his head.

"A spider killed him." Lan cocked her eyebrow.

"Come again?"

"The puncture marks on his head. He was drained of blood and we found cobwebs by where his body was found. "Derek stood up; "a spider killed him. Jason!"

"Yeah?" Jason called from the kitchen. He was making Kraft Macaroni and cheese.

"A spider killed Sammy Smith." There was silence for a moment.

"Okay." He walked out into the living room.

"I'm tired of facing bugs." Lan sighed. "Should we call Final Word for this one?"

"No." Derek began pacing. "Let's wait to see what Chloe gets and-"

"Nada." Chloe walked in throwing her stuff onto the couch. 'Susie was talking and then she found out I was working for freaky links and freaked out and wouldn't finish talking."

"A five-year-old knows about us?" Jason asked.

"Kids surf the web younger these days." Lan shrugged. He chuckled slightly.

"Maybe she has arachnophobia." Derek said. Chloe cocked her brow.

"And that would have to do with this case how?"

"A giant spider killed Sammy Smith."

"Oh...Okay." Chloe said. To anyone else, that would have sounded strange, but to the Freaky links team it was normal business.

"Susie didn't see anything?" Derek asked hoping Chloe could remember something.

"I told you know."

"That's hard to believe." Derek began to pace, "Lana and Jason, find Carter...that cop and get some info from him. Chloe and I will go see Susie again."

"But Derek," Chloe began to protest but stopped.

"IF I come across this giant spider, Derek, I'm going to kill you." Lan said getting up.

"You wont." He kissed her forehead tenderly. "Call my cell if you come into any problems." She nodded.

"You too." Lan said.

"I will." Derek spoke softly and kissed her again. Chloe and Jason rolled their eyes and waited for them outside.

* * *

Jason helped Lan out of the car and they walked down the street.

"So, how's it going with you and Derek?" Jason asked.

"Good as if its any of your business."

"It is my business. He's my best friend." Jason said.

"And I'm not?"

"No you're not." Jason laughed. Lan stuck out his tongue, "Have the two of you...you know." Jason made a crude hand gesture. Lan smacked him.

"No we have not! It's only been two weeks." Lan said. "I want to take things slow with Derek."

"Why?"

"Because I think he's-." Lan stopped herself as they made their way to Rosenberg's apartment.

"Because you think He's the one?" Jason asked holding the building door open for her.

"You won't tell Derek I told you that will you?" Jason shook his head.

"Not unless you want me to." He smiled softly, "Here it is....3d." He started the video camera. Lan smiled slightly and knocked on the door.

"Officer Carter?" She called out hearing footsteps walk towards the door. The door opened and a stout man stood there. He looked at the camera.

"Ah...yes?"

"Hi. I'm Lan Williams and this is Jason Tatum. We're from Freaky Links.' Lan said, "We're here to investigate the Smith murder."

"The smith murder...That's closed. You kids go home." He attempted to close the door but Jason stopped him.

"Now Officer Carter, We know you saw something. We just want to hear your story." Jason said, "don't think we'll think your weird or anything."

"Because we wont." Lan said, "We deal with this sort of stuff everyday."

"Even giant spiders?" Officer Carter asked opening the door. Lan glanced at Jason as he let them in.

Andrew Carter Ran his hand through his hair as the video camera taped him.

"Mrs. Smith was hysterical when we went in. W-We...investigated the body. The little girl was standing in the corner when I heard this sound...I'm not sure what it was...A clicking sound." Andrew said, "I turned around and...God...there were these two...huge red eyes looking at me. I freak out and My Partner Rosenberg turned on the lights and...and.."

"What's Andrew?" Jason asked.

"It was so hidious...With its eight hairy legs. I...I totally freaked out. It advanced on us and was ready to attack Rosenberg. I pushed her out of the way and one of its legs thrashed onto my leg. Rosenberg pulled me out of the house." Andrew rolled up his pant leg to reveal a pussy red wound, "The sergeant told us to forget what happened. He said no to tell anyone."

"Don't worry, Andrew." Lan said wincing at the sight of the wound, "We'll protect your identity." Jason looked at Lan. They had gotten what Derek had wanted.

* * *

Chloe and Derek sat on the hotel bed.

"I don't understand why you're here. Susie is still upset." Elizabeth said.

"We still need to talk to her. She's the only eyewitness we have." Derek said.

"She's five years old." She said, "She doesn't know what she's saying. She's...."

"What, Mrs. Smith?" Chloe asked. Elizabeth looked at Derek and Chloe. She looked scared.

"Susannah...she ah...she's ah-"

"Mommy, what are you doing?" Susie stood in the doorway. Elizabeth wrung her fingers looking at her daughter.

"Nothing sweetheart." She smiled, "Look who's here. It's Chloe and that's her friend, Derek." 

"From Freaky links?" She asked. Derek nodded his head.

"Yes." He said, "have you heard of us?"

"I have." Susie said. Derek chuckled at the five-year-old. Chloe watched them intently and stealing a glance at Elizabeth. She looked terrified.

"Mrs. Smith, could I speak with you outside?" Chloe asked.

"Of course." She stood up.

"No, mommy. Stay." Susie said looking at her.

"Okay." Elizabeth sat back down. Chloe glanced at Derek.

"it'll be okay, Susie. Chloe needs to talk to your mommy." Derek said. Susie glared at him.

"No. She's staying."

"I can stay. It's okay." Elizabeth smiled; "it's okay Derek really."

"Are you sure?"

"She's sure." Susie said. Derek looked at the girl. The wheels were turning in his head.

"You saw your daddy being killed didn't you?" Derek asked.

"Yes." Susie said.

"Did you kill him?" Elizabeth covered her eyes.

"Oh god." Susie stared at him and shook her head.

"No." She said firmly. "A spider did."

"Right. I know that...but you made the spider come didn't you." Chloe stared at Derek. _He better know what he's doing._

"No!" Susie cried. "I did not!" 

"She's five years old, Derek! Not some...witch or super intelligent girl." Elizabeth said standing up.

"You know she's different, Elizabeth. You've seen her do things. Things that have scared you. She's probably killed someone before."

"No!" Susie cried. Elizabeth started to cry. "Mommy?"

"That's not a little girl, Elizabeth. She's a killer. She has powers that you know about."

"She's _my_ little girl." Elizabeth cried.

"The whole time I was looking for a killer spider, but the killer was underneath my nose the whole time." Derek looked at Susie. Chloe backed against the door. Susie gritted her teeth.

"I knew this was a bad idea! I knew it!" Susie cried, "Momma lied to me! She said she was just going to get a physiatrist but she got you MISS Tanner! Freaky links! Ha! What a joke! I hate you Mommy!" Susie narrowed her eyes and the dresser from across the room slid and smashed into Elizabeth squishing her into the wall.

"Oh god." Chloe covered her eyes. Derek backed away from the little girl.

"I hate your website! hate it! I hate you too Derek!" Susie cried;.

"Why did you do it Susie? Why did you kill your father?"

"I hated him as well. He was a loser, just like you. He couldn't provide for us. He couldn't bring in a decent paycheck, like you." Susie said crossing her arms; "do you have a family, Mr. Barnes?"

"N-No." He said backing up to meet Chloe.

"Good." She said looking at Chloe, "Give me that camera, Chloe said."

"No." Chloe said firmly.

"No? You're saying no to me?" Susie walked up to Chloe.

"Y-Yes I'm saying no. You may have all those powers, but you're still a five-year-old girl. I can kick you down any time of the day." Chloe said, "I have the power to expose you on this video camera. I'll put it on the web and expose all your powers so you can't use them to your advantage and you'll be useless!" Derek stared at Chloe. _Wow._ Susie gritted her teeth.

"You're bluffing."

"You think I'm bluffing? I could care less how you wind up." She said. "I could care less how this case ends up. I want you out of town now or I will beat you." Susie stood there glancing from Derek to Chloe.

"I won't forget this. When you least expect it-"

"Blah blah blah." Chloe rolled her eyes and opened the door, "Bye Susie." Susie frowned and stalked the door.

"I'll be back." Chloe slammed the door in the child's face. Derek smiled.

"That was really good, Chloe." Derek said. Chloe's skin looked pale.

"I could have killed us both." She walked back into the room trying to advert her eyes from the bloodied body.

"Yeah...Well, I almost kill us with every case." Derek said, "We should call the police."

"Yeah."

* * *

"So, basically what Jason and me found out meant nothing." Lan said brushing her teeth.

"That's not true, Lan." He said standing in the bathroom doorway; "I needed that footage and confession to put on the site."

"I guess." She said drinking some water, "That's just creepy. I..I just never thought a five-year-old could do that."

"A regular village of the damned child." Derek said. Lan smiled slightly, "Hey, Lan?"

"What?"

'Can you stay the night?" Derek asked. She looked at him.

"Derek, I don't know."

"I promise to behave myself." He chuckled; "I just want to hold you all night." Lan blushed slightly and nodded.

"That sounds nice." Derek extended his hand and Lan took it.


	3. First Time (NC-17)

***NC-17 story***

Lan walked into Derek's apartment. She tossed her stuff onto his coach. She smoothed out her pink silk skirt and looked around the place. He had called Lan and said he wanted her to come over immediately. She figured he needed her to decode something. She booted up the computer.

"Lan?" Derek called from the kitchen. 

"Yeah. I'm here." She said.

"Come into the kitchen." She shrugged and got backup and walked into the kitchen. She stopped in her tracks. Derek had put a candle light dinner onto the table. Derek's puppy dog eyes were twinkling. "You like?" He pulled out a chair for her.

"I love." She was still in awe as she sat down. Derek smiled and sat down in front of her. "Why did you do all of this?"

"I thought, since we've been together for a month and we've never really had a proper date." He smiled, "You deserved something nice other than phsyco children and man-bat's." Lan blushed slightly.

"Well, thank you. It's all so lovely. So...we don't have a case?" Derek shook his head.

"Nope. The nigh is ours. I told Chloe and Jason hat if they come over they're going to get their butts kicked." Derek said pouring out some white wine. Lan chuckled.

"Well, good. I will certainly not mind having you to myself." Derek blushed slightly dishing up pasta and sauce. "Mmmm...It looks delish."

"I made the sauce myself." Derek said sitting back down.

"You're kidding me." She smiled. "I'm dating a cook."

"I just said I made it. I didn't say it was good." Derek chuckled raising his glass. "Bon Appetite." Lan clanked her glass against his and took a sip of the wine.

"Thank you for this, Derek. It's wonderful." She began to eat the pasta, "Oh Derek. The sauce is wonderful." He smiled triumphily. He too started to eat. Derek watched the candle light dance off her face and twinkle in her eyes. She looked so gorgeous. Lan tucked one of her curls behind her ear. Derek's heart thumped loudly. He swore she could hear it.

As soon as they finished the pasta and steamed vegetables, Derek dished up cherry cheesecake he made from a recipe he found in a magazine. Once again Lan praised his cooking abilities. Every time she complimented him, her eyes twinkled with sincerity. That made Derek blush even more. He gathered up the dishes and put them on the sink. Lan grabbed their wineglasses and the bottle of wine and walked out into the living room.

"Derek, come sit with me." She called out. Derek dried his hands off and walked out. He smiled at her softly and sat on the couch with her. Lan smiled happily and snuggled into Derek. He shifted slightly. They have never gotten this close before. They had kissed and held hands and hugs, but never snuggled with wine and a fire roaring in the fireplace. It was romantic. 

Derek smoothed back her hair and inhaled the smell of her floral perfume. He felt so many things for Lan. Things he had never felt before for anyone. He ran his hand down her arm feeling her warmth. Lan smiled.

"I could do this all night." She said closing her eyes.

"Well, you can." Derek said in almost a whisper.

"Are you inviting me to spend the night?" She looked up at him. His lop-sided grin appeared on his face. She loved that grin.

"If you want to." Derek said. Lan snuggled back into his chest. They both closed their eyes totally content on what they were doing. Derek started t caress Lan's hip tenderly. Lan's breathing became slightly heavier. She moved her head slightly. Derek looked down and saw her beautiful lips were so close. He took in a deep breath and kissed her softly.

Lan sighed happily against his lips. They both shifted their bodies into better positions. Lan wrapped her arms around his neck pulling him into a deeper kiss. Derek let his tongue dance with her's. Derek put his hands on her slender waist and pulled her closer to him. Soon his hands slid up her shirt feeling the silky skin of her back. Lan moaned gently. Derek pulled away from the incredible kiss.

"Do...Do you w-want me to stop?" He asked trying to catch his breath. Lan opened her eyes.

"Never." She whispered. Derek smiled.

"Can we take this to ah...." Derek hesitated for a moment. He didn't want to sound like Lan had to do this.

"Take it to the bedroom? Yes." Lan said standing up. Derek stared at her a moment or two not really believing the woman of his dreams wanted to take this to the bedroom. Derek stood up and looked down t her.

"Are you sure, Lan? I don't want to push you into anything you don't want to do." Lan chuckled softly.

"I want this. I've always wanted this." She said, "I'm nervous as hell, but I want this...with you and only you."

"So I guess I'll have to call Chloe and tell her to return the handcuffs and whips. No three-some tonight." Derek said jokingly. Lan smacked him playfully.

"Just you Derek. That's all I want right now." Derek smiled and took her hand. His heart raced as they walked into the bedroom. Lan's throat was dry. She began to sweat. Sure she had been in this room a million times, but this was different. She slid her shoes off as she crawled onto the bed. Derek shook slightly as he followed her. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her against him.

"I've been wanting this for a long time too, Lan." He said caressing the bare skin of her belly.

"Why didn't we do this sooner? Tell each other how we felt..." Lan asked.

"I don't know...We were scared." He said. Lan turned around and looked at him.

"Are you still scared?" She asked quietly. Derek nodded.

"Yeah."

"Me too." She admitted. He smiled softly at her. Derek reached out and touched her cheek.

"I don't think there's any reason for us to be scared. I know I lov-" Derek stopped himself. Lan stared at him.

"You..." Her chest heaved slightly, "You l-love what?" Derek looked at her large beautiful eyes. How could he hide his feelings from her?

"I love you, Lan. I love everything about you. I love how your forehead creases when you worry about me. I love the perfume you wear. I love...I love your computer skills. This place would fall apart without you." Derek said speaking from the heart. "I love how you glanced at me and smile when you think I'm not looking. I love how your skin feels ad how your kisses taste. I love how you wear your clothes. I love how you make sure I have something to eat in the house. I love how you know me...how you understand me. I don't want to have sex with you Lan. I want to make love to you. I love you so much Lan." Lan stared at him unable to move. She had longed to hear those words for so long and now that he finally said them she was floored.

"Oh." She sputtered out.

"Oh?" Derek cocked his eyebrow. Lan stared at him barely able to speak.

"I...I...l-love you too." She said. Derek smiled. She had said it back to him. "So much." Derek touched her cheek. He had always loved. He leaned over and kissed Lan softly. Her heart skipped a beat. This was actually happening. Lan wrapped her arms around him as they kissed. She rolled over onto her back pulling Derek on top of her.

Derek ran his hands up her smooth and taunt sides. Lan shivered underneath his touch. She broke away from the kiss and pulled off her scarlet camisole. Derek's breath caught in his throat. She wasn't wearing a bra. Lan laid back down biting her lip.

"God, Lan, you're gorgeous." Derek whispered. She blushed a little.

"You're not half bad yourself." Lan smiled running her hands down his chest. She pulled his shirt from his pants. Both of their hearts raced and felt like they were going to burst from their chests. Derek pulled his shirt off and tossed it to the floor. Lan ran her hands nervously over his chest and abs. He was more perfect than she had imagined. She ran her hands down to his waist and unbuttoned his khaki pants.

Derek leaned down and kissed her neck. Lan moaned softly. Her skin tasted sweeter than honey. Lan pulled his pants over his hips. Derek pulled away from her slightly as he kicked his pants off. Lan smiled shyly as Derek went back to kissing her. He trailed his kisses down to her collarbone. Lan closed her eyes tightly. He trekked his kisses lower to the soft swells of her breasts. Lan arched her back slightly. Derek swallowed hard as he wrapped his lips around her erect nipple.

"Oh Derek." Lan gasped. Derek sucked gently eliciting moans from her lips. Lan ran her legs down Derek's. Her body heat was rising. "God Derek." He flicked his tongue against her nipple. She groaned loudly. He wasn't sure how much of this he could take. Derek slipped his hands beneath the waistbands of her skirt and panties. Lan lifted her hips up helping Derek with her bottoms. Soon, They were both naked.

Derek stared at her. She looked like a goddess. His beautiful Latina goddess. She smiled shyly. Lan cupped his face and brought him down into a passionate kiss. Derek massaged his tongue against her loving the taste of her. Lan wrapped her legs around Derek pulling him so close. He could feel how hot she was getting.

"Are you sure you want this?" Derek asked.

"Yes please." Lan whispered. He smiled softly caressing her hips. Derek positioned himself so close to her. She caressed the back of his neck as He bit his lip. He slowly slid himself into her. "Oh." Lan moaned quietly arching her back off of the mattress.

Lan wrapped her legs tighter around him pulling Derek deeper into her. Derek groaned softly. She was so tight and wonderful. He pulled out slightly before thrusting in again. Small groans emerged from her lips. They both started to move to a wonderful rhythm.

The friction between them was fantastic. Electricity coursed through their bodies. The headboard hit off the wall. Luckily Derek didn't have neighbors on that side. Their breathing became ragged as they sped up. The bedsprings began to squeak.

"God, Lan." Derek mumbled feeling her tighten up around him. He could have exploded right there, but he managed to hold off. Lan dug her nails into hi back feeling her orgasm building.

"Yes." She whispered as Derek let his hand drop between them and sought out her clit. Lan gasped at the amazing sensation. "Jesus." Lan growled. Derek was amazing. She closed her eyes tightly as She felt her orgasm rip threw her. Her body quivered with passion. "Oh god! Derek!" She cried. Feeling her body tighten and shiver beneath him, drove him over the edge.

"Oh Jesus." He groaned loudly as his seed spilled deeply into Lan. Derek panted as he collapsed. She ran her hand down his back catching her breath. Derek licked his lips and laid down on the bed. As soon as Lan was able to breathe again she rested her head on his chest.

"Wow." She said. Derek smiled caressing her back and holding her close.

"You're.... amazing, Lan." He said full of tiredness. She chuckled.

"I love you, Derek." Lan Said.

"I love you too." He said closing his eyes. IT had finally happened. They had shared something so intimate. Within minutes, they were asleep in each other's arms. 


	4. The Test

Note to readers: This chapter is just a character development chapter really to lead up to the next one so it isn't very long or good-lol. Don't bash it because of how much it sucks..I am aware how much it sucks-lol. I just needed to get some stuff out in the open.

************************************

__

A month later

July 6th, 2001

Lan Williams sat at her laptop in her boyfriend's living room. She wasn't doing anything other than staring at the blank screen. Derek was in the kitchen with Jason talking about some manly thing Lan assumed. Chloe walked through the front door. Lan jumped up.

"Chloe, I really need you." She said. Chloe smiled.

"Wow. That's a nice greeting. Wish I got that everytime I walked in." She said. Lan shook her head and Grabbed Chloe's hand pulling her outside. She made sure the door was closed tightly. Chloe cocked her eyebrow. "Lan, something's wrong isn't there?"

"I'm late." Lan said quietly.

"Late for what?" Lan sighed softly glancing around her making no one was around.

"No. My period...It's late." Chloe's jaw dropped. She tugged Lan further away from the building.

'Are you pregnant?" She whispered. Lan looked down at the ground watching an ant carry a French fry away.

"I don't know. I haven't had enough courage to get a test." Lan fixed her glasses.

"Well, you need to find out now." Chloe said.

"You think I don't know that? I'm just scared..Derek and I...W-We just started going together like two months ago." Lan bit her lip. "He's going to freak out."

"We don't know if there's anything to freak out about yet." Chloe said walking back into the house grabbing her purse. "Come on." Chloe grabbed Lan's hand and dragged her to the car.

"Where are we going?"

"We're going to buy a test...You don't have to take it until you're ready." Chloe said, "but you can't hold off for too long."

"I know...It's been a month." Lan said getting into the car.

"A month?" Chloe asked, "Oh Lan." Lan hung her head as Chloe drove off.

* * *

Derek sat the computer that Lan had left on. He had no idea where she had run off too. Jason sat Next to him playing with a rubix cube.

"Did you hear where Lan ran off to?" Derek asked checking his mail.

"Nope. I heard Her and Chloe whispering outside and leave."

"Nice of her to say bye." Derek mumbled.

"Trouble is paradise, D?" Jason asked. Derek sighed opening an e-mail from Biggs.

"I don't know. Lan has been so distant this week. Maybe I said something to piss her off."

"Well, you are you, Derek. You usually do piss people off." Derek snatched the rubix cube away from Jason.

"Very funny, Jason." Derek chuckled as another e-mail from Biggs came. "What dose he want?" Derek opened up the e-mail.

__

Hey Derek,

I have a picture you might like. A source gave it to me who claimed a gargoyle did this. Gargoyles aren't my territory so here you go. I have more pictures where this came from. Let me warn you, these pictures are grotesque. I mean it.

Biggs

Derek glanced at Jason and started to download the picture.

"Gargoyle...Some how I don't think this picture will be just a few bruises and scratches." He said. Jason shook his head.

"Doubt it." He said as the picture finished.

"Here we go." Derek held his breath as he pulled up the colour picture. "Oh god." He adverted his eyes for a moment. The picture was of a dead woman. It looked like she was turned inside out.

"Jeez." Jason shook his head, "I'm not going to investigate if we're going to end up like that."

"We won't." Derek said as he e-mailed Biggs back for an address to find this contact at. Within ten minutes, Biggs got back. Derek liked not having to threaten Biggs anymore. Saving his life had some perks. Derek wrote the address down. "Peter Christopher." He mumbled grabbing the camera as Chloe walked in.

"What's going on?" She asked.

"Gargoyle mauling." Jason said. Chloe nodded.

"Where's Lan?" Derek asked.

"Oh...ah...She wasn't feeling well so I drove her home." She said.

"Oh...Maybe I should call her." Derek said walking to the phone.

"No!." Chloe grabbed his arm, "She's probably sleeping and she'd get mad at you if you woke her up" Derek nodded.

"Right. I don't need to get into the doghouse further." Chloe smiled weakly. She and Lan had bought a pregnancy test at the local drug store. Lan was too afraid to take it then so Chloe made her go home to work. Chloe promised she'd go back there later for moral support.

* * *

Peter Christopher was a strange old man. Pictures of gargoyles and old buildings lined his wall. He mumbled when he talked. Chloe claimed he smelled of Twinkies and beer. Peter sent them into the centre of the woods where the woman, Alison Jeffers, was murdered.

"I find woods creepy." Chloe said looking around. Jason crammed the camera in her face.

"You think the Blair witch is out there?" He asked.

"This isn't New Jersey and Maryland or wherever that was filmed." Chloe said pushing the camera away.

"I'm sure we have our own Blair witch." Jason said.

"We have giant Bugs and skunk monsters so I wouldn't put it past us." Derek chuckled filming the woods. His mind was still on Lan. He hoped she was okay. "Chloe, did Lan say anything about me?"

"Huh?"

"She seems mad at me and I don't know what I did." Derek said.

"She's not mad at you. Trust me. She isn't." Chloe said with a sigh. Derek nodded.

"Good because I don' remember doing anything." He said.

"Shh." Jason shushed them.

"What?" Derek asked.

"Did you hear that?" They all stood still. The rustle of leaves and twigs snapping is what they heard. Derek made sure his camera was on. Chloe's heart race as a growl echoed through the woods.

"I don't want to end up like Alison." Jason whispered.

"Shhh." The three of them huddled together as the growls came closer. "Look." Derek's light on his camera fell on a wolf. It had fabric hanging out of its mouth.

"Isn't that what Alison was wearing?" Jason asked.

"Yeah." Derek sighed. "That is our gargoyle."

"But Peter said he saw a gargoyle..." Chloe mumbled.

"An old guy indulging into his own fantasies, I guess." Derek whispered, "He saw the wolf and pretended it was his fair stone friend." Chloe nodded slightly.

"Ah...guys?" Jason said.

"What?"

"Snarling wolf. I vote we jet now." He said. The other two nodded and back away slowly. Off in the distant roosting on a tree branch, was a large stone gargoyle. He smiled slightly. His identity was once again not found out. He flapped his wings and flew off. He'd be back though.

* * *

Chloe slowly walked into Lan's apartment. She took her jacket off. _Note to self, its July in Florida, don't wear jacket._

"Lan? Where are you?" Chloe called out.

"In the bathroom." She said. Chloe walked to the bathroom and knocked on the door. "You can come in." Chloe opened the door and found Lan sitting on the floor.

"Well?"

"I'm waiting." Lan said, "I have a minute left." Chloe sat down next to her friend, "Part of me is hoping it is negative...but part of me is hoping it Positive. It'd be nice to be a mother, but...I don't know if I'm ready." She smiled dreamily thinking of how cool it would really be to go to school plays or baseball games, to get small hugs and small kisses and to hear some one say Mommy I love you.

"Derek would certainly need to grow up." Chloe said. Lan smiled slightly.

"I don't think Derek will ever grow up." Lan said, "But that's one thing I love about him." Chloe nodded.

"Me too." On top of the sink, the egg timer dined. Lan's heart beat quickened. "Whatever happens Lan. Derek loves you and I'll be here." Lan nodded and slowly got up. She picked up the white stick off of the sink. Her heart leapt into her throat as she saw the results. 

"Oh." She whispered sitting on the edge of the tub.

"Well?" Lan showed her the results, "Oh..."

To be continued....


	5. Telling the Truth

July 20th, 2001

_I'm Pregnant. _The past two weeks, Lan's life seemed to go in slow motion. This wasn't happening to her was it? There was a life growing inside of her. A human life she and Derek created together was growing inside of her. Nine weeks pregnant. Seven weeks after conception. Lan couldn't believe it. She had known for two weeks, but...

How could she tell Derek? He knew something was up. Every time he got close to her, Lan would freeze up. She almost told him a few days ago when he commented on her weight. Two pounds. Two pounds wasn't a lot of weight. But she even felt pregnant. Her breasts were getting fuller and she was sure He'd notice that soon.

Derek, you're going to be a father. Lan's heart raced just thinking about telling him. She could just see his face now. His beautiful blue eyes would widen and he'd back away from her saying that she wasn't pregnant and if she was it wasn't his because he couldn't afford to have a baby. He could barely afford to provide for himself.

That was another thing that worried Lan...Money. She made pretty good money when she worked. She knew she'd have to put her name out on the net more now. She'd have to work on more websites and databases and whatever people threw at her. She might even have to raise her rates. Lan usually charged cheaply per hour because she enjoyed doing things on the computer, but She couldn't cheat herself out of extra money now. She had a degree and she could charge what she wanted.

But Derek. He didn't make much if any. Sometimes he'd get a messenger job and he'd strap on his roller blades and deliver the package, but that would only earn him twenty bucks per package. Derek could start charging at Freaky links, he did it once, but she knew Derek would never do that. Lan sighed heavily sitting on the couch.

"Lan, can you help me?" Derek stood in the doorway balancing two pizzas in one hand and soda in the other. Lan smiled and ran to help in.

"Smells good. What kind?"

"Cheese. What were you thinking about?" He asked putting the pizza on the table, "It looked like something big. You had a cease in your forehead."

"Nothing." She said grabbing herself a glass of water. She couldn't have the caffeine soda. Derek sighed. He knew she was lying but he didn't want to pry.

"Fine." Derek mumbled, "How long have we been together?"

"Ah...Two and a half months." She said getting a slice of pizza.

"And how long have we known each other?"

"Almost six years...Why?" Lan asked.

"No reason. I just think after six years, you'd be able to tell me when something is bothering you and don't say nothing is bothering you because I know. You've been quiet and not your sunny self." Derek said, "If you don't want to tell me then okay...I'll respect your decision." Lan sighed heavily. He made it so hard to keep this a secret.

"Are you going to pursue that swamp thing report?" Lan asked changing the subject. Derek sighed with frustration.

"No." He mumbled eating his pizza. Lan looked down at the table feeling bad.

"I was thinking about redesigning the site. Not too much. Just a little." Lan said. Derek shrugged.

"Do what you want." He mumbled again. Lan rolled her eyes. He was so stubborn and childish sometimes.

"You're mad at me." Lan said looking at him.

"No...I'm not. I'm Frustrated." Derek said, "I'm you're boyfriend. I want to help you and what ever is making you upset, but I can't when you're being so closed off." Lan looked at the pizza on her plate. It looked sickening.

"I...I have a doctor's appointment in a few hours and I would like you to go." She said quietly.

"Okay. I knew you haven't been feeling well lately and you've been crabby." Derek said, "Maybe they can prescribe you something that will-"

"I'm pregnant." Lan blurted out. Derek stared at her. His pizza slice stopped inches from his mouth. Did he just hear her right?

"W-What?" He croaked out. Lan bit her lip.

"I'm pregnant...and...if..You don't want to go to this doctor appointment then fine." She stood up and started washing her plate. "I-I just thought...you'd w-want to know." A few tears slid down her face. She turned her back to Derek who was still sitting motionless. "If...You w-want to stop seeing me then fine. I...I had a nice run...and..I've enjoyed th-the time I've spent with you." A few more tears slid down her face. It took Derek a minute to realize Lan thought he was going to break up with her. It took Derek another minute to be able to move his legs. He slowly got up and walked over to the sink. He put his hand on the small of Lan's back.

"Lan..." He said quietly. She covered her face with her hand.

"I'm scared, Derek." She said.

"Don't worry. It's just a baby.... There's nothing to worry about." Derek bit his lip trying to believe his own words, "You'll get through this."

"That's not what I'm scared of." She said taking her glasses off and wiping her eyes.

"Then what?" Lan took a deep breath. It did feel better now that she told him...

"I'm scared that you'll stop loving me...and leave." She said. Derek made her look at him.

"That'll never happen, Lan. I love you with all my heart and I'll never leave. This baby...I..I don't know." Derek sighed, "I never really thought of myself as a father type and the though...it terrifies me more than any desert squid or haunted law firm, but whatever you decided...I'll stand by you." Lan laid her head on his chest and sobbed quietly. Derek swallowed hard and wrapped his arms around her. Derek rubbed her back.

"I w-want this baby, Derek." She whispered. Derek took in a deep breath.

"Okay." He said, "You'll look sexy pregnant." Lan smiled weakly.

* * *

Derek couldn't believe he was sitting here in an obstetrician's office. He glanced at all the women there. They were all pregnant. A few children were playing loudly in a corner with Legos. One boy threw a Lego at a girl and she started to cry. Her cries pierced Derek's eardrum. He'd have one of those. A screaming poppy diaper runny nosed baby. Derek looked at the pictures hanging on the wall. He shifted uncomfortably.

"Lan, there are vaginas on the wall." He whispered.

"We're in an OB/GYN office." Lan said not looking up from a parenting magazine. Derek nodded. He could face killer cops and shadow vampires, but this.... This was one of the toughest things he's had to do.

"Lan Williams." A doctor stood in the doorway. Lan put the magazine down and looked at Derek.

"Here we go." She said Derek nodded and took her hand. They walked up to the doctor. "I'm Lan."

"Oh Hello. I'm Dr. Fisher. Please step into my office." She said. Lan smiled slightly. Derek slowly but surly followed her. Dr. Fisher smiled softly.

"This is my boyfriend, Derek." Lan said sitting on a table. She nodded at the nervous boy. 

"Okay..Why don't we get started? This is your first time here correct?" Lan nodded her head taking Derek's hand, "All right. I'm going to give you an ultrasound today to make sure everything is okay. When was conception?"

"Ah...June 6th." Lan said. Derek looked at her.

"Wasn't that our...first time?" Derek whispered. Lan nodded slowly.

"Yeah."

"You've been hiding this from me for a month and a half?" Derek asked. Lan shook her head.

"No! I've only known for two weeks." She said.

"Who else knew before me?"

"Chloe....b-But that's it." Lan stuttered. Derek sighed leaning back in his chair.

"All right. Date of conception was June 6th. How long is your menstrual cycle?" Dr Fisher asked.

"Oh...ah...twenty-eight days." Lan said. Dr Fisher nodded and typed into her computer.

"Okay...Your due date is February 26th then." Dr Fisher smiled at them. The young couple both nodded. "You two don't seem so excited about this pregnancy. Is this baby unwanted?"

"N-No...The baby is wanted." Lan said, "Just...unexpected." Dr. Fisher nodded and looked at Derek.

"How do you feel about the pregnancy?" He looked at her.

"I am...I don't know. It's a shock..." Derek said aid.

"Fathers play a big part in a child's life." She said.

"I know and I plan on being with Lan every step of the way." Derek said. Lan smiled slightly.

"Good." Dr. Fisher nodded. Sure, Derek felt like he was gong to throw up and pas out, but he'd be here. He promised Lan and he doesn't break promises. "All right, Lan. Lay back and I'll squirt the jelly on you. It'll be cold."

"All right." Lan said lifting her shirt up over her abdomen. Derek moved his chair closer to her. His heart raced. Within minutes, he'd see his child up on that screen. Dr Fisher put the gel on Lan's stomach. She chuckled slightly at the coldness. Lan bit her lip slightly as Derek took her hand. The doctor started to scan Lan' stomach. In a second there was a grey and white picture on the screen.

"Is that...the baby?" Derek asked in a whispered. Dr. Fisher smiled brightly.

"Sort of." She said. Lan stared at the screen. A big black blob and two little white blobs.

"Sort of?" Derek raised his eyebrow. Dr. Fisher pointed to the two little white blobs.

"One...Two. Those are your babies." She said. Derek and Lan's jaws dropped.

"T-Twins?" Derek sputtered out. Dr. Fisher nodded.

"Yup." She said printing out the picture. Lan's heart felt like it had stopped. "Do twins run in your family?" Derek nodded slowly.

"M-Me....twin." He mumbled. Dr Fisher chuckled slightly wiping off Lan's stomach. 

"With a twin pregnancy you need to take care of yourself more, Miss Williams." She said. Lan nodded slowly, "six hundred extra calories a day. Exercise in moderation. You need to drink plenty of water. Any questions?" Lan shook her head slowly. "All right then. I will see you next month."

"Th-Thanks." Derek said helping Lan off of the table. They silently walked out of the office. Twins. They couldn't believe it. One baby would have been hard enough, but twins.

"What are we going to do Derek?" Lan said almost in audible. Derek slid around her waist.

"I don't know. We'll manage." He said walking out to the car, "You'll have to charge more and...I'll have to start charging."

"Derek..." Lan looked at him. Derek sighed.

"I don't know what else to do, Lan. It's either start charging or give it up and get a job and...I can't let Adam down...I need to keep the site going." Derek said. Lan nodded.

"I'll...get a job...A secretary job."

"Lan you're too good for a secetery job." Derek said, "Freelance or something. But you're too good for a secretary job."

"W-We need to bring in two pay checks a week, Derek. W-We need better medical insurance too. W-We need..."

"Lan."

"Wh-where are we going to put them? What if..You need m-me for a case? What if-"

"Lan, don't worry. We'll get through this. We'll manage." Derek said, "Let me worry about this. You don't need to. You need to rest and relax." Lan sighed.

"That's easier said than done." She said getting into the car.

"I know." Derek smiled, "You do realize now that we're going to start charging Chloe and Jas will need to be paid." Lan nodded.

"They should get like 25% of the payment." She said.

"And hazard pay." Derek chuckled. Lan smiled.

"I should get hazard pay just for being with you." Derek stuck out his tongue and took her hand as he drove away.

"We're having twins, Lan." He said. Lan took in a deep breath. All of this was scary for them.

"Yes we are. Beautiful, happy, and healthy twins." She said. Maybe this would work out. Maybe they could actually do this...Time would tell.

***********

Help Derek and Lan name their babies from the list of names.

You can vote more than once every day

http://www.gigapoll.com/?106710


	6. Urban

Writers note: Let me apologize for all the stereotypes I put in here. I apologize for any racial slurs I may use. I don't condon using them in real life, so please don't. I don't mean to offend any of my readers.

__

August 4th, 2001

Week 11 of pregnancy

James Dorak closed his locker in the gym. He hated going to gym. He thought once he graduated high school he wouldn't have to go back, but in college...he had to have one year. He grabbed his towel and made his way out from the aisle of lockers. Carlos Melendez saw the skinny freshman coming towards him. He nodded towards all his friends and they grabbed their towels and started twirling them.

"Hey Dork, whatcha doing down here?" Carlos asked. James pushed his glasses up.

"It's Dorak." He said.

"Yo whatever, _Dork_." Carlos snapped his towel at the guy. 

"Hey!" James cried dropping towel.

"Dork, why don't you grow some muscles?? We're in college not elementary school." Raul, Carlos' friend said. They all chuckled.

"I don't find you witty." James said, "Why don't grow up yourself and stop acting like you're in elementary school." Karim Browne snapped his towel at James. He jumped back. "Please leave me alone."

"Leave me alone. Leave me alone." Carlos mocked James, "Seems like Dork wants his mommy."

"ITS DORAK!!! MY LAST NAME IS DORAK!!! For nineteen years, My name has been Dorak. D-O-R-A-K! Can your pee brain drug infested gangster rap minds get that?? DORAK!!" James screamed. Carlos and his boys laughed at the outburst.

"Whatever, Dork." Karim laughed as they walked away. James gritted his teeth. 

"I'll get you, you bastards and you'll be sorry. All of you people will be sorry."

Carlos Melendez stopped at a red light and J-Lo pumped out of his speaker.

"Waiting for tonight...Oh oh!...Ah...Da do do dah." He bopped his head around forgetting the words, "Go J-Lo. Tu es muy calagente mi amour." He taped on the steering wheel when he heard a grinding noise. "Man...I just fixed this damn car."

Carlos shook his head and drove towards his home. He hoped his mother had dinner on the table. So it was nine pm, but he was starved. The scraping noise continued. He'd have to investigate when he got home. He turned the radio up further to drown out the noise.

Within ten minutes, Carlos was home. He switched off the radio and got out. He lifted the hood of his car to investigate the noise. He soon found what it was. There was a coat hanger caught against the motor.

"I'm lucky I didn't blow up." He snatched the hanger and threw it away. Carlos walked up the steps of his house when he heard a noise behind him. he turned around to see a cloaked man. "May I help you, Chico?"

The person walked closer to Carlos. He shook his head and unlocked the front door. Suddenly, The cloaked figure brought a brick down onto Carlos' head. A brown haze came over him as he collapsed. The Figure grabbed Carlos and dragged him into the house.

*

Carlos slowly opened his eyes. The room spun around him. His mouth was dry and his abdomen was painful. Carlos felt extremely weak. His mocha skin was now pale white. His body felt like it was on fire. He managed to get his eyes focused. He looked down at himself. he was covered in blood.

"Ice.." He mumbled. He was laying in a tub of Ice. Carlos swallowed hard and touched the opened wound. He screamed out in pain. The familiar cloak figure walked in. He held something in his hand. "What..." Carlos felt so very weak. Too much blood lost.

"Your liver." The figure said. He threw the organ across the room and it exploded into a bloody mess. That was the last thing Carlos saw before he died from blood loss.

* * *

"I'm telling you, D, The midget killed himself." Jason said. Derek groaned.

"It's an untrue Urban Legend. A stork cast a shadow on the backdrop and that's all it was...a shadow." Derek said. Jason rolled his eyes as Lan flushed the toilet and came out, "How you feeling?"

"Barfy and hungry." She said walking into the kitchen. Derek sighed.

"I was thinking that maybe you should start bartending again to pick up some extra cash." He said. Jason winced at that. Laughter emerged from the kitchen.

"You're kidding me right?" She asked.

"No. I'm serious. You were a cute bartender with an attitude." Derek said.

"D-Man, shut up." Jason warned. Lan emerged from the kitchen with her arms crossed.

"Well right now I'm a pregnant webmistess graphic designer with an attitude." Lan frowned, "and had hormonal to that list. Why don't you go back to bartending?"

"Because I sucked. I dropped everything and...I sucked." Derek said.

"I will not go back to bartending, Derek. I hate it. I hated working in that atmosphere with all those men hitting on me."

"Jeez, Lan. it was just a suggestion. You don't have to jump down my throat." Derek said. Jason shook his head and moved to the computer.

"Well, I have a suggestion for you, _D_."

"What is that?"

"For you to shut up." Lan went back to the kitchen. Derek sighed and looked at Jason.

"What was that about?" He asked. Jason looked at him.

"She's a hormonal pregnant webmistess graphic designer with an attitude" Jason said with a chuckle.

"I guess." Derek mumbled as Chloe came in with a newspaper in her hand.

"Read page c3." She said, "Where's Lan?"

"Cooking in the kitchen and audition for Linda Blaire's part in the Exposits" Derek said taking the paper. Chloe nodded. "Kitten climbs up tree and costs town one thousand dollars. Chloe that's not really Freaky Links material."

"No." Chloe growled and pointed to the article right below it, "Read."

"Last night, Carlos Melendez was found murder in his Miami home. Melendez was found in his bathroom in a tub filled with ice. Police reports say his liver was missing. His Organ was found in the room ripped to shreds." Derek stopped reading, "That's gross."

"Isn't there an urban legend like that?" Jason asked.

"Stop with your urban legend talk." Derek said still reading the article.

"He's right." Lan said walking into the living room with a bowl of plain pasta. "There's that urban legend of that business guy going to last Vegas and picked up a prostitute. They do their thing and He wakes up to a phone message on the machine and it's the police telling him that he slept with the Notorious Liver sealer. He looks down and sees his own liver is missing." They exchanged looks.

"Okay there are plenty of things wrong with that story. Number one the whole liver-missing thing. The guy would have been dead long ago from blood lose or even from sheer pain." Chloe said, "and number two, the police wouldn't have left a message in this answer machine. If they knew he was going with the Liver stealer or whatever, they would have broken down the front door."

"This is why it's an untrue Urban Legend." Lan said eating her pasta.

"We should still check it out." Derek said looking for his camera.

"You think it's freaky links material?" Jason asked.

"Could be." Derek shrugged. "You think Biggs has any pictures from the scene?"

"Probably." Jason wrinkled his nose, "but I don't think I want to go see them." Lan stood up and shoved her bowl into Chloe's hand.

"What?" Chloe asked.

"I'm going to throw up." Lan ran to the bathroom and slammed the door. Chloe and Jason gave Derek a look.

"What??"

"You and your super sperm." Jason shook his head looking for the camera. Derek shrugged.

"It takes two to tango." Derek said getting his jacket, "Let's go. Come on, Lan."

"I'm coming. I'm coming." Lan said walking from the bathroom.

* * *

The Freaky Links team got out of their car in front of Carlos Melendez's house. A police cruiser was already there.

"How are we gonna get in there, D?" Jason asked.

"Ah...." Derek scratched his neck watching the cop eat a doughnut on the top of his car, "one of us is going to have to talk and distract him."

"I'm not doing it." Chloe said. Derek looked at Lan.

"Lan?" He smiled sweetly. Lan frowned.

"Why me?" She asked, "It's because I'm Hispanic isn't it? Great!"

"Well...Yeah." Derek shrugged. Lan groaned out of frustration.

"You owe me." She said. Derek smiled and kissed her forehead.

"Thanks babe." He smacked Jason's arm, "Let's go." Lan sighed and slowly made her way towards the cop.

"E-Excuse me." She said as the Freaksters made their way into the house. The cop jumped up.

"This is a closed scene, Ma'am." He said. Lan started to sniff.

"I-Is it t-true about Carlos?" She asked.

"Did you know him?"

"I'm his cousin...Ah...Maria Melendez." Lan said, "Is it true?"

"I'm sorry Ma'am." He said.

"Oh no!"

Derek walked into the bathroom. It was blood stained. Chloe wrinkled her nose.

"I should have stayed with Lan." She said. Derek walked to the tub and video taped the bloodied porcelain. 

"I still vote this isn't Freaky Links material." Jason said.

"Well, we won't know until we investigate further." Derek said. Chloe walked to window and watched Lan make small talk with the cop. Some rustling in the woods caught her attention. Chloe noticed a Young man sitting there staring up at Chloe. She gasped and jumped back.

"Derek..." She said.

"What?" He mumbled looking through the medicine cabinet.

"We're being watched." She said. Jason and Derek looked at her. "theres a young man in the bushes watching us." Derek moved slowly to the window and looked out. The kid was still there.

"Maybe he saw something..." Derek said.

James sat in the bushes watching the people in the window. He glared at Jason. He's one of them. He's just like the rest. The people disappeared from the window. James turned to watch Lan. She's one of them. She's just like the rest. His eye twitched slightly.

His eyes fell upon Derek and the team running out of the house towards him. The cop jumped up and stopped them.

"What the hell is going on?? The cop yelled. Derek made eye contact with James. "I repeat, what's going on. Where you in the house?

"Ah...No." Chloe said. The cop turned to Lan.

"You lied. You kids get out of here. this is no place for you." He said, "and turn those cameras off."

"You going to make me?" Derek asked. Lan smacked his arm.

"Don't be a dork, Derek." James narrowed his eyes at Lan, "I apologize for my boyfriend Officer. We're leaving."

"Good." He said. "I never want to see you around here again."

"You wont." Chloe said, "I'm sorry."

* * *

Lan sat at the computer going over the videotape from Chloe's camera.

"He was sitting in the bushes." Chloe said, "Just staring at us."

"I didn't see anyone there." Lan said going frame by frame over the film.

"Well, he was." Derek said, "I bet he saw something. He was white. had glasses and-"

"Here." Lan stopped on a frame that showed the boy. "I might be able to focus on him...If you go get me some applesauce." Derek smiled.

"Okay." He kissed the top of her head and went into the kitchen.

"This may take a minute." Lan said, "Why exactly is Jason at Biggs?"

"To get photos." Derek called out. Lan and Chloe wrinkled their noses.

"Do we really need photos?" Chloe asked.

"Freaksters would want them." Derek said walking back out and handing Lan her bowl of Applesauce. She frowned at the sauce and took a bit.

"This is old." She gagged.

"No it isn't. I just had some." Derek said taking the bowl from her. He tasted some more, "It's fine, Lan."

"Well...It tastes gross to me." She said turning back to the computer, "Here you go." Lan was able to get a clear picture of James. "I can run this picture through the computer to see if this guy has a name."

"Great. Do that." Derek said as Jason came in, "Got pics, Jas?"

"Yes...and something else." Jason handed Derek a folder. "There was another murder."

"Another murder?" Chloe asked sitting next to Derek

"Yes...Don't look at the pictures Chloe. They're pretty-"

"Oh god!" Chloe gasped adverting her eyes. "I'm tired of looking at pictures like those."

"God...What happened?" Derek frowned.

"The report says Karim Browne's insides were ripped from his body by a fisherman's hook." Jason said.

"Too much info." Lan said. 

"They found the hook at the scene." Jason said, "its just like that Urban Legends...The hook man."

"So what you're saying Jas is that we have an urban legend killer on our hands?" Derek asked.

"Yes." Jason said, "Also...Karim Browne and Carlos Melendez were friends at school." Derek stared at Jason.

"How do you know that?"

"Research my friend." Jason chuckled. Derek nodded looking at the photos. He stopped.

"Wait...Lan let me see that picture of that kid." Derek moved over to his girlfriend.

"It's right here." She said. Derek held up one of the photos next to the screen. The kid on the screen was the same as a kid in the photo Derek was holding.

"It's the same guy." Chloe and Jason walked up behind him, "The same guy at the murders."

"Urban Legend murders." Jason corrected.

"Urban Legend murders..." Derek nodded, "Lan, any idea who this guy is?"

"Ah....yeah." She said as the computer chimed. "James Dorak...He has no criminal record. He...wow...gets fantastic grades."

"You think He's the killer?" Chloe asked. Derek shrugged.

"I don't know. But it might help interviewing him..and maybe find out who else is in this group of Melendez's. They might be at risk also."

"Sounds good, D." Jason said.

"Jason and I will go find James and you girls go do the friend thing." Derek said. The others nodded, "Meet at Melendez' in three hours."

"Gotcha." Lan said grabbing her purse. Derek kissed her.

"Be careful."

"I always am." Lan smiled.

* * *

Chloe and Lan walked down the hallway of Cotten Dormitory. Raul Blanco lived here. Chloe knocked on the door. In a minute, a handsome Latino answered the door.

"Can I help you?" He asked.

"Raul Blanco?" Chloe asked. He nodded slowly.

"Yes. Are you some more detectives?" Raul asked, "I've talked to enough of them today."

"Ah...No. We work for Freaky Links." Lan said, "We investigate the strange-"

"Occult and paranormal." Raul smiled, "I go to your site all the time. I'm a regular on the discussion board, LatinFreakazoid." Lan smiled.

"Oh! I know you! I'm Lan." She smiled.

"Oh cool. I read Derek's diary the other day and your pregnant?"

"Yup." Lan nodded her head. Chloe elbowed her. "Ow..Oh...We're here on business. We have reason to believe you're in danger."

"Danger?"

"You're friends Carlos and Karim." Chloe said, "We have reason to believe you may be next."

"What?" Raul stared at her.

:I know it sounds strange but we believe there may be an Urban Legend killer coming after your group of friends." Chloe said.

"Urban legends?" The girls nodded, "James Dorak."

"You know him?" Lan asked.

"Yeah. he's this mega geek. I mean, he is the king of all geeks." Raul said, "He is nuts. He blew up at us in the locker room the other day. He made be tiny but he's Loco. He reads all these urban Legend books. He always has them." Chloe looked at Lan.

"Derek and Jason are going to see him." Chloe said.

"Okay...I'm going to get them." Lan said, "They're at risk...They don't know...I um...Okay, You stay here..keep an eye on Raul. I'll go get the guys and I'll meet you here in twenty." Chloe nodded.

"Let us walk you out." Raul said holding the door open. Chloe and Lan walked outside. She unlocked the door.

"I'll only be twenty minutes." Lan said getting in. 

"Okay." Chloe said as Lan started the car, "Bye."

"bye." Lan said driving off. Raul gasped.

"Oh god." He started running after the car.

"Raul?? What are you doing?? Chloe asked.

"There was somebody in the back seat." Raul said.

"What??"

"There was somebody in the backseat of Lan's car." Raul said, "come on. My car's over here."

"Oh god."

* * *

Derek knocked on the screen door of the Dorak home.

"I hope he's home." He said. Jason turned the camera on as Derek knocked again.

"There aren't any lights on." Jason said.

"Then he won't mind us going in." Derek said opening the door. Jason groaned.

"once again the freaky links team could get arrested."

"Quiet." Derek said walking around. "No ones here."

"I could have figured that out." Jason said picking up a book about urban legends "D, look at this."

"Look at this." Derek stood in the doorway of James' room, "I think we found who the killer is."

"What are you tal-...Oh man.." Jason stared into the room. Snap shots of Carlos and Karim lined one wall. A few pictures of Raul sat on the desk. The men walked in. Jason's heart stopped as he picked up a picture. "D..."

"What?" Jason held up a picture. it was of himself and Lan outside Melendez's house. "Oh god..."

"What do all these people have in common besides becoming the obsession of Dorak?" Jason asked. Derek shrugged, "they're all Hispanic and African American." Derek looked at the pictures.

"This guy has some serious issues." Derek's aid, "Let's go find the girls." Jason nodded.

* * *

Lan tapped her fingers on the steering wheel. She hoped Derek was okay...Oh and Jason too. She glanced in her rearview mirror. There was a car behind her flashing their headlights.

"What do you want?" She growled and sped up trying to loose them. Lan kept her eyes focused on the road. The hairs on the back of her neck She heard something in her back seat, "Lan you're freaking yourself out." Suddenly something was slipped around Lan's neck and she couldn't breath. She let go of the steering wheel and grabbed the rope that was around her neck. Her car swerved off the road as she tried to catch her breath. She looked out the window and saw she was heading straight for a tree. Lan put her hands protectively over her stomach as her head hit the steering wheel.

* * *

Raul flashed his headlights at the car in front of him.

"Come on, Lan! Pull over" Chloe bit her lip. The car started to speed up, "Lan no!!"

"Shit." Raul tried to catch up when they saw the car swerve. Chloe's eyes widened with fear as she saw Lan's car hit tree.

"holy shit." Raul screeched the car next to the tree. Chloe jumped out and ran to the driver side. Lan laid against the steering wheel. "Oh god, Lan!" Chloe opened the door. "Raul, call an ambulance....and police car." There was a body laying on Lan's hood. That was the person in that was in the backseat...that had done this.

"I'm a step head of you." Raul said. He was already on his cell. He walked over to the car and got the body off. He did a Scooby Doo moment and took the mask off. "James." James' eyes opened.

"I'll....get you, you Spic, and your little spear-chucking friends." He mumbled "Dorak." Chloe stared at Lan as the sirens of the ambulances echoed from afar.

"Lan, can you hear me?" She asked. "You'll be fine. The babies will be fine." There was no movement from Lan, which scared Chloe even more. Within five minutes, the ambulance was there and picked Lan up.

* * *

Derek pulled the car up to Melendez's house. He looked around.

"The girls aren't here." Jason said.

"I see that." Derek's said as his cell pone went off, "Derek Barnes."

"Derek, its Chloe."

"Hay. Where are you guys?" He asked. There was silence for a moment.

"There was an accident, Derek." Chloe said.

"What kind of accident?" Jason stared at Derek.

"James Dorak was...in the back seat of Lan's car." Chloe said. Derek' blood went cold.

"Wh-What happened Chloe? Tell me."

He um..He choked her and she lost control of the car. She ran into a tree."

"Oh god. The babies?"

"They won't tell me." Chloe said, "You need to get here now."

"I'm on my way." Derek sped away. Jason looked at him "Lan was in a car accident."

* * * 

The steady beep of machines filled Derek's ears as he sat besides Lan. She looked terrible. Her neck was bruised. She had stitches in her forehead. Lan's eyes slowly opened.

"Der...ek?" She said. Her voice sounded raw.

"Hey baby." He kissed her cheek.

"What happened?" She whispered.

"You were in a car accident." He said, "Everything will be okay, Lan. You'll be okay. It was touch and go for a moment there, but you'll be fine." A few tears slid down her cheek.

"The twins?"

"They'll be fine." Derek said, "Nothing happened to them. Your body protected them and they'll be okay." Lan smiled slightly, "James Dorak is in the maximum-security section of the hospital. If he survives he'll be facing two accounts of murder and three accounts of attempted murder." Lan nodded slowly.

"Why did he.....do this?"

"He was a racist basically." Derek said, "Melendez's friends who were all minorities and teased him, James vowed death upon them. Ah...I think you were targeted because you were there at Melendez's. Maybe you said something to set him off." Lan nodded. and coughed. She winced at the pain.

"Water?" Derek nodded.

"All right. I'll get you some." Derek kissed Lan's forehead, "I love you, Lan."

***** 

Help Derek and Lan name their babies from the list of names.

You can vote more than ten times at once! Wow!

http://www.gigapoll.com/?106710


	7. Baby Names

__

August 18th, 2001

Week 13

Lan let the towel fall to the floor. She looked at herself in the mirror and smiled softly. Her belly was no longer the firm and tight stomach it once was. There was now a small bulge and She loved it.

Lan slid n her favourite skirt. It wouldn't fit her next week. She laid on the bed and zipped it up. She slowly sat up and grabbed her green shirt. Lan brushed her hair up into a ponytail. Her body still ached from the car accident. She got her stitches out last week and Derek had made her relax ever since the hospital had released her. Lan wasn't complaining.

"Lan?" Derek called out from the living room. 

"What?"

"Come on. I got the baby name book." Derek smiled from the couch. Lan smiled and walked out. "Ready to make a list?"

"Always." Lan sat down next to him and snuggled in. "I've always liked the name Georgia." 

"Because that's where youre from." Derek glanced sideways at Lan who nodded.

"I thought it'd be nice to name my daughter That." Lan said. Derek loooked at her and smiled. They were actually picking out names for their children. He still couldn't believe he was going to be a father. Derek wrote the name Georgia down on the list.

"I like it." He said, "I like the name Cherish for a girl."

"Cherish?" Lan thought about it, "Cherish Barnes...I like that."

"Want it on the list?" Derek asked.

"It goes on the list." Lan said taking the baby name book. "How about...ah...Charles for a boy?" Derek thought about the name for a moment.

"Charles Barnes has a nice ring to it." Derek said, "I would name my son Peter Vincent-Christopher after the three greatest actors of all time, Peter Cushing, Vincent 0

Price, and Christopher lee." 

"I like that." Lan said, "Peter Barnes. I really like that. Ooh! How about Tatiana?"

"Tatiana." Derek let it rolled over his tongue. A smile spread across his face, "I like that too." He slowly wrote down as Lan gasped.

"Oh my god!" She cried. Derek almost dropped the pen.

"What?? Are you okay?" He asked. Lan began to laugh.

"They moved. I felt the babies move." She said with the biggest smile on her face. She took Derek's hand on put it on her stomach.

"They moved?" He asked with a smile. She nodded.

"It felt like bubbles." She moved Derek's hand around her stomach.

"I can't feel anything."

"Hold on." Lan shushed him. They sat there in silence for a moment until Lan's stomach moved again. She smiled. "Did you feel that?"

Derek nodded slowly. The movement had been very faint against his hand but extremely powerful in his heart and soul. He had felt his children move and he couldn't believe t. Derek leaned over and kissed Lan softly.

"That was amazing." He whispered. Lan smiled.

"It's only going to get stronger week by week. As I get fatter." Lan chuckled.

"You're not getting fat; you're pregnant and extremely hot." Derek smiled. Lan laughed at him.

"Riiiiight Mr. Barnes." She said looking at the list of names they had written, "I was thinking about something, Derek."

"Don't hurt yourself doing that" he chuckled. Lan smacked his arm, "Ouch. What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking..." Lan chose her words carefully, "That I should officially move my things in here. I mean if you want me to, if you don't then I won't." Derek looked at Lan.

"You actually want to move in the Barnes Homes with dirty floors and messy things?" He asked with a smile.

"You know I'm a neat freak. Those dirty floor and neat things will be clean five minutes after I move into here."

"Woo-hoo! A Clean Barnes Home. Move on in." He laughed. Lan smacked his arm.

"Derek, I'm serious." She said, "do you want me to move in or not?" Derek looked at her.

"Of course! I couldn't think of anything I would want more than to have you move in. You think we can fit our daughters in here?"

"Daughters?" Lan asked with a smile, "You think we're having girls?"

"Ah...Yeah." Derek said, "I mean, we only have one bedroom."

"Have you looked to see how huge your place is?" Lan asked, "You don't even use that side of the room." She pointed so the dark corner that Derek never used. It was piled up with boxes and chairs and freaky link cases. "We could easily fit a couple cribs over there and a rocking chair and um...a bookshelf and a toy chest and a dresser." Derek smiled at her. She was so cute when she got excited.

"Sure we can have all that and then some." Derek said, "anything you want."

"And how are you going to pay for this?"

"Ah, I've been working out a payment plan for cases." He said getting up and moving to the computer. "I think we'll need to work on a case by case thingy. I mean, we can charge more for broken equipment, bail, hazard pay, you know." Lan chuckled.

"Good idea." She said as Chloe walked in with a couple of bags, "Hey Chlo."

"Howdy." She said sitting next to Lan, "Hey Derek."

"Ah...Hey." He mumbled from the computer. Chloe chuckled handing Lan a small pink bag.

"What's this?" Lan asked.

"I went to the mall and I got a few things." Chloe said. Lan smiled and opened up the bag.

"Oh Chloe. They're beautiful." Lan pulled out two small pink gingham sundresses. They had little tulips for buttons. "You think we're having girls too?"

"Well. I got these too." Chloe handed Lan another bag. Lan smiled and opened it up.

"Aw Chloe these are adorable." Lan pulled out two small pale blue sleepers with little stars on them. "Thank you so much." Lan kissed Chloe's cheek. "I love them." Lan got up and moved to the cluttered side of the room where their children will sleep. She folded the clothes up neatly, put them mi n the bags, and placed it on a table between a shrunken head and a book on Appalachian tribes.

"Well, Good." Chloe said, "When I saw them I just had to get them like I said. It's not everyday your best friends have babies."

"Chloe, how are your lifting arms?" Derek asked. She looked at him suspiciously.

"Why?"

"I need to move Lan's things in here and we all know how many clothes and shoes she has." Derek said with a smile.

"Hey!" Lan cried, "I don't have _that_ many...okay maybe I do, but it's not like I can fit into them anymore. I'll need to pack first."

"Since it's for Lan, I'll do it." Chloe said, "and Jason can help too."

"I plan on asking him." Derek said typing on the computer.

__

Hey Freaksters. 

Nothing happening on the freaky front. I think when I said I'd start charging it scared off all our clients. *Sniff* Take pity on the poor father of twins wont you? *Puppy dog eyes* Thanks :D 

Thanks everyone for the get well e-cards and cards you sent Lan. She's doing great (and looking sexy). She got her stitches out and there isn't a visible scar. She's doing well with the pregnancy. She getting big too and looking hot. Wait...did I mention she's hot and sexy yet? Well she is. (Brownie points for the D-Man) Anyway, Take care all and I'll let you know of any freaky things we find.

Hurdy gur,

Derek

Derek saved that and shut the computer off. He leaned back and watched Chloe and Lan giggle and talk on the couch. He still couldn't believe that he was going to be a father. He was sure it wouldn't actually hit him until the day they are born, but he was sure he would love every single moment of it.

***** 

Help Derek and Lan name their babies from the list of names.

Be honest. Don't stuff the Box. I know when that happens. Mu ha ha ha!

http://www.freevote.com/booth/thetwinsnames


	8. The Three

__

September 1, 2001

Week 15

Harold Henderson led Lan though the Stanfeild Graphic Art studio. This was very exciting for Lan. She had always heard great ting about this studio and now she was working here.

"We're very pleased to have you Miss Williams." Harold said, "Your credentials and portfolio are amazing." Lan blushed deeply. 

"Thank you, Mr. Henderson.." She said.

"Right now we're working on a catalog for Bristol Department store. We usually do websites, catalogs, and brochures and sometimes banners and posters." Harold said, "it all depends what are clients ask for." Lan nodded, "Now here is your cubical. You have full Internet access and you have two personal calls a day. As for Maternity leave, don't worry. You get full pay." Lan smiled looking at her cubical, "Oh and freelancing is allowed. You just need to run it past the board first. Any questions Miss Williams?"

"Oh no. None. Thank you so much, Mr. Henderson. I won't disappoint you." Lan said sitting down in her new chair.

"I don't think that's possible." Harold smiled and walked off. Lan smiled turning her computer on. This was great. She got a job. Not just any job, but an extremely well paying job. 

"You're new here." Lan looked up to see an extremely beautiful woman. Her long blond hair bounced at her hips. Her green eyes twinkled at Lan.

"Ah...Yeah...I'm Lan Williams." She extended her hand.

"I'm Tisha Fury." Her voice sounded like choir of angels, "Lan Williams? Are you the Lan Williams who did the Jevenson Law firm website and the Wandsworth website?" Lan blushed deeply and nodded.

"Yes I did."

"Wow and you're working here. Harold use those site as guidelines for when we do some. They're amazing." Tisha smiled. Lan blushed once again.

"Thank you." Lan said. "You work here?"

"Oh yes...I edit the final work around here." Tisha said, "My little sisters, Meg and Alec, work here as well. They are graphic artists so I'm sure you'll meet them soon enough. If you'll excuse me, I need to get back to wok. It was nice meeting you." Tisha walked away. Lan chuckled softly pulling up her work assignments.

"Lan?" She looked up to see two girl who looked exactly like Tisha, "I'm Meg and this is Alec. We saw you met Tisha and we thought we'd introduce ourselves."

"I'm pleased to meet you." Lan smiled Weakly.

"How far along are you?" Alec asked with a curious smile.

"Oh...ah fifteen weeks with twins." Alec and Meg both oohed and aahed.

"That is wonderful." Meg said.

"We wish you the best of luck." Alec said before they walked away. Lan chuckled softly as she started to work

* * *

Blake Rohm stood at the corner with a sigh. His buddies were suppose to pick him up but they were late like always. As soon as that thought entered his, a dark car pulled up to him. Two cloaked figures got out. They walked up to Blake. He saw glowing green eyes looking back at him. Blake backed away from them. Large wings broke out from beneath the cloaks.

"I-I'm w-waiting for my friends." Blake stuttered. One cloaked creature advanced. From no where, it pulled a long spiked bat. Blake's breath caught in his throat. The other creature advanced with a dagger. As he backed away, Blake tripped and fell into a mud puddle. Before he knew it, Pain was being inflicted upon him. He was being stabbed.

"Please what are you doing??" Blake cried. The creatures giggled with glee. Soon, the spike bat came down upon him with serious force. Blake's screams rang through the night.

With a yawn, Derek dried of the plate. He hated doing dishes. Asides from cleaning the toilet, Derek hated the dishes the most. Jason walked into the kitchen and poured himself a glass of lemonade.

"That girl of yours has a lot of boxes marked shoes." Jason said slugging down the sweet nectar.

"She has to look her best now doesn't she?" Derek chuckled, "You're washing that glass."

"Yeah yeah." Jason said going to the sink with the glass, "So, What do you think about all of this?"

"Of what?"

"Having you personal space invaded." Jason said looking at Derek, "Becoming a father. You're going to have to grow up, D."

"I'm a grown up." Derek said. Jason gave him a look. "Listen, I'll be a good father."

"I didn't say you weren't going to be. It's just that. You're going to have a family to provide for now. A girlfriend wife whatever-"

"Hey hey. Who said we were getting marred?" Derek asked, "I didn't." Jason rolled his eyes.

"You have a girlfriend and two children to provide for. Emotionally and financially." Jason said.

"Look who's Chloe now." Derek said running his hand through his hair, "You think I don't know that? You think I don't lay awake at night wondering how we're going to make ends meet? Even with this job Lan has...It's just. I don't want to rely on my girlfriend..."

"Have you even told your mother?" Jason asked.

"Was I suppose to?"

"She's your mother. I think she'd like to hear that she's becoming a grandmother." Jason said, "What about Lan's parents? Have you told them?" Derek laughed.

"Lan's parents aren't too happy with me for making their daughter leave two stable jobs to come down to Florida to chase monsters...with people she met online." Derek said sitting down, "Mr. Williams. Hi this is Derek Barnes. I have impregnated your daughter...yes with human babies." Jason rolled his eyes.

"Maybe they'll help out some."

"I don't need charity." Derek said.

"Where are the cribs, stroller, car seats, dressers, clothes, and diapers?"

"We have time." Derek said.

"No you don't." Jason said, "Lan is fifteen weeks pregnant. Her due date comes closer everyday."

"Since when did I hire you to give me the third degree about family raising?" Derek asked, "You don't exactly have a family now do you?"

"No need to get hostile. I'm just trying to h elp." Jason said. Derek sighed moving to his computer.

"Well, I don't need your help. I can do this just fine by myself." He muttered checking his e-mail. Jason sighed and sat on the couch.

__

Derek,

I thought you would like this. I thought of you when I saw this. This picture is of Blake Rohm this morning. Don't ask questions.

Anonymous

Derek opened an attachment that was with this anonymous e-mail. The picture slowly downloaded. Derek almost gagged at the sight.

"Oh god." He mumbled. Jason looked up.

"What is it?"

"Some kind of mauling...or something." Derek said. Jason looked at the picture.

"Oh god." Jason frowned, "A very bad mauling."

"I'll run the marks through the computer to see if it knows what kind of animal might have done this." Derek said. Jason nodded sitting back down on the couch.

Lan slowly stood up from her computer. Everyone had gone home an hour ago. She stretched rubbing her back.

"Lan?" Lan jumped holding her chest. She turned to face the Fury sisters.

"Oh god! You scared me." Lan gasped.

"I am so sorry." Alec said.

"Never scare a pregnant woman." Meg said, "You don't want her popping them on out." The sisters laughed. Lan scratched her neck.

"I thought everyone had left." Lan said putting her jacket on.

"We were burning the midnight oil." Tisha chuckled. Lan nodded.

"Hey. Want to go grab something to eat?" Alec asked.

"Oh. It's sort of late." Lan said. Meg glanced at her watch.

"It's nine o'clock." She giggled, "Come on. The food is on us."

"You can't turn away food can you?" Lan let out a small laugh.

"I suppose you're right." Lan smiled. "I haven't eaten for a few hours so...yeah sure. Sounds great."

The four women sat at the table at Macalister's. Large turkey sandwiches sat in front of them with a large order of fries. Lan nibbled at one.

"So, You gonna get married?" Meg asked. Lan laughed slightly.

"Oh...I don't know." She said, "Derek doesn't strike me as the marrying type."

"But he's the fathering twins type?" Tisha asked.

"I hope so." Lan smiled softly. She picked at her sandwich when she noticed Marsha Waterpoint, the woman who sat in the cubicle next to hers. "Marsha, hi."

"Lan, hello." Marsha said with a smile, "How was your first day?"

"It was wonderful thank you." Lan said, "why don't you come sit with us?"

"No." Meg said.

"There's no room for her here." Alec said. Marsha smiled softly.

"Maybe next time then." Marsha said walking away. Lan frowned slightly.

"We have enough room. I can move over." Lan said. Tisha shook her head.

"We don't like her." Tisha said.

"We don't want her near you." Meg said. Lan cocked her eyebrow.

"Oh look at the time." Lan looked at her bare wrist. "I need to go. I ah...forgot I have a website to work on at home and it's due tomorrow and ah..I left then oven on." Lan grabbed her purse, "Thanks for the meal. We'll do it again soon." With that Lan ran out of the restaurant. The girls turned to Marsha and frowned.

* * *

Derek poured two glasses of orange juice as Jason walked in the kitchen.

"What's up, D?" He asked.

"Lan isn't feeling well so I'm getting her orange juice." Derek said.

"Morning sickness?" Derek nodded, "then don't give her orange juice. It stings coming up. Try ginger ale or something." Derek stood there for a moment and poured the orange juice back.

"What are you doing here? It's eight am." Derek asked getting ginger ale.

"There's been another murder like the last one." Jason said following Derek into the bedroom. Lan groaned seeing Jason.

"Another murder?" Derek asked, "Here you go honey."

"Thanks." Lan mumbled sitting up.

"Yup. One Miss Marsha Waterpoint was mauled like Blake Rohm." Jason said Lan chocked on her soda.

"M-marsha??"

"Yeah." Jason said.

"Oh god." Lan got up off the bed, "I work with her."

"Oh...I'm sorry." Jason said. Lan bit her lip acing the bedroom.

"Tisha, Meg, and Alec didn't like her much, I guess. What was she mauled by?" Lan asked. Jason looked at Derek.

"Weren't you running the claw prints through the system yesterday?" Derek nodded and moved to the computer.

"I forgot to check it." Derek mumbled. 

"You okay, Lan?" Jason asked.

"I'm fine." She said sitting next to Derek.

"Okay..Here we got..Oh..and a hit and a miss." Derek said.

"What do they say?"

"Some kind of large reptile makes the claw marks. Origin unknown and the teeth mark seem to have been made by a large toothed bird." Derek glanced at the other two. Lan nit her lip.

"Move." She pushed Derek away from the computer; "I'll run that description through to see if we can narrow down the search a little bit." She started typing on the computer.

"How long will that take?" Derek asked.

"Done." Lan said.

"Already?" Derek peered over her shoulder.

"There were two matches." Lan said letting Derek read.

"Hmmm." He mumbled. "Not the first one."  
"And the second?" Jason asked. Derek read the article.

"Oh." He whispered.

"Well?" Derek looked up at Lan.

"Ah...This Myth talks about underworld vengeance demons. They were called Furies. They were winged serpents and tortured their victims in Hell." Derek said, "The mist notorious Furies were called...ah...Tisiphone, Megera, and Alecto." Lan stared at him almost not able to breathe.

"Tisha, Meg, and Alec." She whispered.

"Who are they?" Jason asked.

"Girls Lan works with." Derek said..

"What else does the articles say?" Lan asked.

"Just that the Furies often look for mortals to sacrifice and start a new breed with." Derek said. Lan covered up her stomach.

"That's me. Oh god." Lan rubbed her eyes, "How do we kill these demons?"

"Look whose sounding like a regular Buffy the demon slayer." Jason smiled. Lan frowned.

"Ah...The last account of killing them. The man did it by cutting of their wings." Derek wrinkled his nose.

"Well, you can do that." Lan said, "You've done much worse things."

"Gee...thanks." Derek muttered.

"And I'll be the bait." Lan smiled getting up.

"No no no. I don't think so young lady." Derek aid getting up.

"They know me. They trust me and they want the twins. Of course I'll be the bait so poo poo on you." She stuck out her tongue and went to go get dressed/ Jason glanced at Derek.

"I guess the morning sickness has passed onto insanity." He said. Derek nodded.

"I think you're right."

***

Lan bit her lip with nervousness. What was she doing? She was getting herself into trouble. She glanced behind her and saw the freaky links car there. Jason and Derek where in there and if she got into any serious troubles, they'd come to her rescue. Lan knocked on the front door. In a second Alec opened it. 

"Oh Lan, We're so happy you could make it." Alec smiled.

"I'm glad I could come also." Lan smiled nervously stepping into the apartment. Derek and Jason stepped out of the car as soon as the door was closed behind Lan. "So...What exactly are we gonna be doing?"

"Oh you'll see." Alec smiled opening a door for Lan, "Go down there. The others are waiting for you." Lan bit her lip. _Derek and Jason are outside. I'll be safe._ Lan walked down the stairs. She was going into the basement. Tisha and Meg were there wearing cloaks. Tisha smiled at the Latina woman.

"Lan, I'm glad you made it." She said, "We can get on with the ritual."

"R-Ritual?" Lan asked. Meg and Alec grabbed Lan and pushed her against the wall, "What are you doing?" Meg put shackles on Lan's wrists.

"Getting on with the ritual." Alec said.

"And what would that be? Cutting me open so you can get my children and turn them into hideous creatures like you?" Lan asked. The girls smiled.

"Well, pretty much yeah." Tisha smiled, "You're such a smart girl. That's why we were thrilled you started working with us. We knew you'd eventually come to us. Now...the ritual." The girls put the hoods up on their robes. Lan tugged at the chains.

"Oh come on Derek." She muttered.. The sisters started to hum.

"Oh father of the lights and sea, our children has been brought to us." Tisha chanted, "Cascade your supreme knowledge down on them and make them eternal like their sisters." Lan bit her lip. _Derek, hurry up._ Tisha pulled a knife out from the sleeve of the cloak and approached Lan.

"Oh Tisha, you don't want to do this." Lan said.

"Yes I do." She said, "send your minions to be and bestow the power to the Gemini." As if an cue, Jason and Derek burst into the basement.

"Thank god!" Lan cried.

"Get them!" Tisha roared.

"No. Don't do that." Derek muttered, "I've got a sword." From the bag he held, he pulled out a sword, "The return of Zorro." 

"Go for the wings, D." Jason said fighting off Alec.

"I know." Meg charged at Derek. he swung the sword and it made contact with Meg. A high pitched scream echoed through the basement. Alec looked at Meg.

"Oh shit." She cursed as she watch Meg turn into a pool of go. Derek wrinkled his nose.

"DEREK!" Lan cried as Tisha advanced with a knife. Derek cursed again jumping over the pool of Meg.

"Get away from my girlfriend!!" Derek swung the sword around. Jason was struggling with Alec.

"You can't have her!" Tisha screamed as her wings sprouted.

"Screw you!" Derek swung the knife and brought it down on one of Trisha's wings. 

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" She screamed as her skin started to melt into a purple substance, "Alec! Carry it out sister." Alec and Jason stood there watching the lead sister melt. Alec took this opportunity to bolt.

"I'll be back for the babies! I'll be back!" She cackled running out. They all stood there for a moment catching their breaths.

"Derek?" Lan smiled slightly.

"Oh right." He moved to her and unlocked the shackles, "Are you okay?" Lan nodded.

"I'm fine. Just hungry." She said rubbing her wrist.

"Me too." Jason said stepping over the pool of Tisha, "Say we go to McDonald's and get a few burgers?"

"Sounds great to me." Lan said.

"Me too." Derek snaked his arm around Lan's waist.

***** 

Help Derek and Lan name their babies from the list of names they have selected.

Be honest. Don't stuff the Box. I know when that happens. Mu ha ha ha!

http://www.freevote.com/booth/thetwinsnames


	9. Hope

September 15, 2001

Week 17

Lan pushed the big box off of the couch and sat down. It felt good to get off of her swollen feet. She put her feet up onto a different box and leaned back. She watched Derek as he attempted to put together a crib. She smiled softly as She started to sew the hem of a large piece of mosquito cloth. Lan already had the babies' corner all planned out. The cribs would touch each other on the headboards and she would screw up three loops up in the ceiling where she would drape the mosquito clothe and it would be a cute covering for the cribs. The dressers would be placed on the corner.

"Shit." Derek cursed. Lan looked up form her sewing to see him sucking on his finger.

"You okay, Babe?" She asked.

"Yeah...I screwed my finger by accident." He mumbled. Lan nodded continued to sew. Derek let out a few more swears as he finally got the first crib up. "Twins...two of everything...grrrr." Lan chuckled softly as someone knocked on the door. She hauled herself up and walked to the door. Her mouth dropped when she opened it.

"M-Mrs Barnes." She stuttered. Debbie Barnes smiled at Lan.

"Hello. Is my son here?" She asked.

"Mom?" Derek looked up from the cribs. Debbie walked in.

"Long time no see son." Debbie smiled, "It's been what six months since you bothered to pick up the phone or stop by. It's not like we live too far away."

"Hi." Derek stood up scratching his neck nervously.

"My computer broke down and I haven't even been able to look at the site for awhile and..." Debbie looked around the room, mainly at the twins' corner. She turned and looked at Lan, "Derek?"

"Ah...You remember Lan right?" Derek asked, "remember you drove me to her house and-"

"Yes. I remember." Debbie looked back at her son, "What's going on Derek?"

"What...ah...What do you mean?" Derek smiled weakly. Lan gave Derek a look.

"Is there something you've been meaning to tell me?" Debbie crossed her arms.

"I don't think so..." Derek mumbled.

"Derek." Lan whispered.

"Oh! Ah...Lan and I live together." Derek said. Debbie nodded and waited for more. He bit his lip. Derek didn't know this was going to be this hard, "Ah...Lan and I are expecting twins on February 26th." Debbie stared at her son.

"T-Twins?" She bit her lip. Derek nodded.

"Yup. We decided to wait to find out the sexes. We want to be surprised." Derek put his hand on Lan's back, "We...would have told you sooner, but we've been busy with work and baby things." Debbie nodded still in shock.

"I...understand. I'm only your mother." Debbie said, "I only carried you and Adam for eight months experiencing terrible back pain and cravings." Derek sighed heavily, "It's all right. I understand."

"Mrs. Barnes, I'm really at fault here. I didn't want Derek to tell you yet because I was scared to." Lan said.

"Scared?" Debbie asked. Lan nodded slowly.

"I'm having your first grandchildren...Twins...and...I didn't want to bring back any bad memories of Adam or anything." Lan bit her lip. Debbie smiled softly.

"Child, I have no bad memories of Adam," She sighed softly, "You're having twins.... That was...so hard for me. Mentally and physically. I wish I had help and I offer my services to you. Anything you need, I'll be here."

"You mean it?" Derek and Lan both asked. Debbie chuckled.

"You're having my grandchildren. Of course I mean it."

"Do you mean you're not mad?" Derek asked. Debbie chuckled.

"I didn't say that, Son. I think we're going to have to have a talk about keeping things from your mother." Debbie said, "I at least hope you told Lan's parents."

"Well...." Derek scratched his neck. Debbie sighed.

"You need to tell them before you're twenty weeks." She said.

"I promise." Lan said. "And thank you...None of my friends have had babies so I'll need all the advice I can get."

"Mom always gives advice whether you ask for it or not." Derek smiled. Debbie shot her surviving son a look, "but it's always good advice.... Sometimes...Now, Mom, what did you come for?"

"To see my son I birthed and raised." Debbie said. She smiled softly, "I wanted to go take you to lunch."

"Great! I'm going! I'm sick of being in this damn apartment putting things together." Derek cried. Lan raised her eyebrow, "Not that it isn't worth it." Debbie laughed.

"You certainly have him trained." 

"I know." Lan smiled triumphly. Derek shook his head and opened the door.

"You guys can tell me about all the freaky cases you've gotten and how's Jason and Chloe?" Debbie asked walking out.

"They're fine." Lan said, "Chloe is really excited about the babies and Jason is too I think."

"Well, they should be excited." Debbie smiled getting into the chair.

* * *

This was extremely nice. Derek was enjoying sitting here with the two women who meant the most to him. Debbie seemed okay wit the whole Lan pregnancy thing. He knew she probably had some issues with it and wasn't telling him. She would be fine with it when she saw the twins' faces. Hey Derek himself would probably be okay with this when he saw the twins' faces.

"Oh Derek." Debbie shook her head, "Don't let my grandchildren be put in danger again."

"It was my fault really. I insisted on being bait." Lan smiled eating a French fry.

"Next time let Chloe be bait." Debbie smiled. Derek chuckled.

"I will, Mom." He shook his head biting into his hamburger. Lan smiled brightly.

"Your grandchildren are moving." She said.

"Oh! Can I feel?" Debbie asked with excitement.

"Of course you can." Lan took Debbie's hand and placed it on her stomach. In an instant, one of the twins kicked at Debbie's hand.

"Oh my!" She smiled. Derek returned her smile. "I have forgotten what that feels like."

"They've been very active. All the pregnancy books say by seventeen weeks, I should feel a flutter of movement." Lan let out a soft laugh that Derek always found attractive, "I haven't felt a flutter in weeks. I have soccer players in here."

"Those pregnancy books don't know anything." Debbie said, "Every pregnancy is different." Derek patted Lan's leg with a soft smile, "Well, children, this lunch has been fun, but I really must get going. We need to do this again. We can go baby shopping."

"I would like that a lot, Mrs. Barnes." Lan smiled.

"Thanks for coming by, Mom." Derek stood up and hugged his mother. Debbie smiled.

"It's my pleasure. Who knew I'd be gaining grandchildren from the visit." Debbie winked, "Take care of yourself Derek...and them. Don't let anything happen."

"I won't, Ma. I promise." With that, Debbie kissed her son and left. Derek sat down next to his pregnant girlfriend.

"I like your mother." Lan said.

"Good." He said, "I like her too."

"She seems genuinely happy about the babies." Lan said. Derek looked at her.

"As she should be. These babies will be fantastic...They already are." Derek smiled, "We just got to tell your parents." Lan sighed.

"We will.... Eventually." Derek kissed Lan's cheek. He hoped her parents wouldn't flip. He hoped they were going to be accepted. He hoped for many things.

***** 

Help Derek and Lan name their babies from the list of names they have selected.

Be honest. Don't stuff the Box. I know when that happens. Mu ha ha ha!

http://www.freevote.com/booth/thetwinsnames


	10. Wake up call

September 29, 2001  
Week 19  
  
Derek smiled softly watching Lan sleep. Her dark  
chesr rose slowly up and down. Her eyelids flickered  
slightly as she dreamt. Derek put his hand on her  
large naked stomach. She was so gorgeous. He found her  
irresistible pregnant. His penis soon hardened as he  
rubbed her belly.  
"Great why do you have to be asleep." he whispered  
under his breath and then a slight smile spread across  
his face. What a better way to wake up, He thought.  
Derek kissed Lan's jawline softly. There was no  
response from her. He ran his down her naked body to  
her legs. His thumb caressed her thigh. Her leg moved  
slightly.  
Derek smiled and begun to kiss his way down. Her made  
his way to her ample breast. his tongue flicked  
against her nipple. A small moan emerged from her lips  
but she was still asleep. Derek wrapped his mouth  
around her nipple and sucked gently. A small trickle  
of her milk coated his tongue. It tasted wonderful.   
Lan's breathing became more heavy as he kissed  
further down. he wasn't sure if she was still asleep  
but she was keeping her eyes closed. Derek followed  
the curves of her belly down to her thigh. He sucked  
softly on the soft skin of her leg. Lan spread her  
legs slightly. He smiled and kissed to his right on  
her mound. He stopped and sat back slightly, watching  
her.  
"Mmmm." Lan moaned, "Don't stop." Derek smiled.  
"Are you sure?" He asked. She finally opened her eyes  
and looked down  
"please." She said softly. He smiled and stared  
kissing her leg again. She lifted them up higher.  
Derek ran his tongue over her leg to her hot and wet  
pussy. Derek could barely contain himself. The smell  
was exciting him beyond belief. he wanted to bury  
himself into her.  
Derek plunge his tongue into her slick channel. She  
bucked her hips. she tasted so wonderful. He lapped up  
the sweet nectar of his girlfriend. His tongue sought  
out her clit. She groaned loudly.  
"God, Derek." She groaned loudly running her hand  
through his hair. He sucked on her swollen clit  
roughly. Her body shivered. "Derek...I...I need  
you...inside me."  
Derek didn't even wait. he stood up and took Lan's  
hand. he helped her up. They had mastered having sex  
while pregnant with twins. They finally found a  
position that didn't hurt Lan. Derek sat on the bed as  
Lan stood in front of him. She leaned over and kissed  
him.  
"I love you Derek." she said.  
"I love you too." He said as she turned her back to  
him. Derek put his hands on her hips an pulled her  
close to him. She positioned herself above his  
throbbing penis. Lan slowly lowered herself onto him.  
They both groaned loudly. Lan leaned her back against  
his chest. Derek wrapped his arms around her.  
Lan started to rock her hips back and forth. Derek  
drew in a deep breath as electricity coursed through  
his body. Soft little moans emerged from Lan's lips  
Derek caressed her belly lightly. Lan lifted her hips  
up and slowly went down again.  
"God, Lan." Derek moaned loudly. he latched his lips  
onto the back of her neck and sucked gently. her body  
shiver as she started to move faster. Derek  
concentrated hard, trying not to erupt too quickly.  
"Mmmm." Lan purred. Derek gripped her hips hard,  
pulling her deeper and rougher onto him. She gasped  
with pleasure. "Christ."  
"God." Derek groaned, "I'm...going to...cum..."  
"Oh yes." Lan said wanting to feel his seed rush into  
her. She ground her hips into him harder, "Derek."  
"Oh god." Derek groaned as his orgasm took over his  
body. his body shook as he shot his seamen into Lan.  
"Oh Jesus, Lan!!" Hearing him cry her name, drove Lan  
over the edge. Her body quivered around him. Her body  
jerked forward slightly.  
"Oh!! Christ yes!!" She cried loudly and laid back  
against Derek chest panting. "god....Derek."  
"Youre...Amazing, babe." Derek kissed her again as  
someone knock on the front door. He groaned slightly.  
"Derek?" Chloe's voice called out.  
"What do you want?" Derek asked suckling Lan's neck.  
She giggled softly.  
"We have a case." Chloe said walking towards his  
room.  
"Is it good?" Derek asked as Lan got off of him.  
"Might be werewolves." Chloe said. Derek nodded.  
"Sounds goo d to me." He said. Lan groaned and kissed  
his shoulder. "Do you want to come?"  
"No...I think I'll stay here and shower." She said.  
Derek groaned and pulled his clothes on.  
"Youre tempting me again woman." He smiled. Lan  
chuckled softly.  
"Sorry." She said, "Have fun."  
"You know I will." Derek said opening the bedroom  
door. Chloe stood there with her arms crossed. She bit  
her lip.  
"I didn't interrupt anything did I?" She asked  
watching Lan scurry into the bathroom.  
"No." Derek said, "Love you Lan." He said a he  
grabbed Chloe's arm.  
"You sure I didn't interrupt?" Chloe asked once more.  
"You didn't. Let's check out these werewolves."  
  



	11. Visiting

**__**

October 11, 2001

Week 21

Lan wrapped her arms around her large belly. She bite her lip. Her pulse quickened as Derek pulled onto the highway. She rubbed her belly as one of the babies kicked.

"Derek, I don think I can do this." She said almost crying. Derek glanced at her.

"We have to do this." Derek said, "Your parents would want to know."

"They are going to freak." Lan said.

"Why would they? You're a grown woman, you're in a stable relationship, and you have a great paying job." Derek said, "They will be thrilled."

"I hope you're right." Lan looked out the window as the 'Welcome to Georgia' sign passed them. She took in a deep breath. 

"Don't worry. Your parents love me." Derek said. Lan groaned.

"No...My parents hate you and you know it. You took their inelegant daughter from a good home and made her move in with some strange guy she met on the Internet." Lan said. Derek chuckled.

"Well, they still have an intelligent daughter and two intelligent grandchildren and me, the dumb ass." Derek said.

"You're not a dumb ass. You're one of the smartest men I know." Lans aid.

"Hold on." Derek picked up the camera of the dashboard and aimed it at Lan still driving. Lan laughed. She licked her lips and looked in the camera.

"I, Lan Williams, find Derek Barnes to be an incredible man. He is the most intelligent man I've met. He has experience. He has determination and he's incredible in the sack. Are you gonna put this up on the site?" Lan asked with a grin.

"I am now." Derek said.

"Then let me add this...Derek Barnes also has a really big penis and it's-"

"Okay Lan!" Derek laughed, "not going on the site now."

"Thanks." Lan smiled and settled back down in her seat.

The sun was almost fully set as Derek pulled up to the Williams house. He shook Lan gently.

"Sweety. We're here." He said.

"We came so can we go now?" Lan asked without opening her eyes. Derek smiled and opened the car door.

"Nope." He said getting out. Lan sighed and hauled herself out of the car. She glanced at herself in the side-view mirror. She ran her hand over her hair and straightened her glasses.

"All right let's get this over with." Lan walked up the steps to her childhood home. Derek came up behind her. Lan slowly rang the doorbell. Her heart pounded. She could have induced a contraction, if Derek wasn't there. Footsteps echoed down he hallway. Lan took in the deep breath as he oak door was opened. Peter Williams stood there with a soft smile, but it soon faded, as he looked his daughter over. "Hi, Daddy."

"Hi, Mr. Williams." Derek said nervously. Peter stepped aside without a word and allowed them in. They walked in.

"Where's Momma?" Lan asked.

"Kitchen." Peter said glaring at Derek. Lan quickly took Derek's hand and led him down the hallway.

"Mom?" Lan called out. The water shut off in the kitchen.

"Oh gosh! Lan??" Maria cried. Derek squeezed Lan's hand as she walked into the kitchen.

"Hi Mom." Lan said. Maria turned and stared at her daughter. Lan bit her lip. "D-Don't I get a hug?" Maria relunclantly moved.

"Of course." She walked up to her daughter and gave her a quick hug, "I need to set the table four four now." Maria quickly left the room.

"Oh god, Derek." Lan said almost in tears. "I c-cant do this. You saw their faces." She buried her face in his chest.

"It'll be okay." Derek said, "Maybe after we have something in our stomachs." Lan nodded slowly.

"M-Maybe." She said. Derek kissed her forehead.

"I love you, Lan and that will never change." He said. Lan smiled softly.

"I know that." She said.

"And these two babies love you as well, so whatever they say. Whatever they do, the three of us will be here." Derek said, "Plus, they're you're parents. They'll come to love it." Lan rolled her eyes.

"Yeah...Let's go eat." Lan said. 

Things felt tense as Maria Williams laid the food out onto the table. Peter didn't look at his daughter. Maria barely said anything. Lan and Derek tried to be as polite as possible.

"Mom, these potatoes are fantastic." Lan said putting some into her mouth.

"Don't talk with your mouth full, Lan." Maria said. Lan sighed slightly glancing at Derek.

"Mrs. Williams, Lan just got a wonderful new job last month. She works for on of the top graphic designers in the country." Derek said. Maria only nodded; "She got a premium package when she got hired."

"Does it include full pay maternity leave?" Maria said with bitterness. 

"Y-Yes." Lan said looking down at her plate of delicious food. Peter threw down his fork.

"How could you Lan??" He cried. She looked up with large eyes.

"How could I what?"

"Don't play this game with me, Lan. How could you get pregnant?" He asked with anger, "We had such high hoped for you and now you're just throwing your life away."

"I AM NOT!!" Lan cried, "My life is exactly where I want it to be. I have a lovely job, I'm pregnant with twins, I have a wonderful boyfriend...I am happy right now!"

"Twins?? Oh lord have mercy." Maria shook her head. The vein on Peter's neck started to bulge.

"Have you plans to get married?" He asked calmly. Lan bit her lip.

"No, sir." Derek mumbled. Peter glared.

"Having twins out of wedlock. God, Lan, didn't we raise you better than that!?" He cried. Lan's lip quivered.

"Can't you guys be happy for us?" Lan asked softly.

"No. I can never be happy for such a shame on this family." Peter said.

"Daddy..." Lan whispered not believing her ears. Derek had enough of this. He stood up.

"Come on, Lan, let's go." He said. Lan nodded slowly.

"That's right leave. I don't want you to ever come back." Peter said.

"Peter!" Maria gasped.

"You're no daughter of mine, Lan. You're a big disappointment." Peter said. Maria stood up and left the room not believing her husband's actions.

"Daddy, don't say that." Lan said with a few tears sliding down her face.

"Don't call me that. Leave." Peter hissed. Derek snaked his arm around Lan's waist and pulled her outside. The air seemed lighter than it did in the Williams' home. As soon as the approached the car, Lan broke down in tears. Derek sighed and wrapped his arms around her. He rubbed her back.

"W-Why did they have to act like that?" Lan sobbed.

"I don't know." He said softly.

"Th-theyre my p-parents. I th-thought they'd be supportive."

"They'll come around Lan. My mom will surely adopt you if you want." He chuckled kissing her head. Lan smiled wiping her cheeks.

"You're right...all I need is our little family of four." She said with a slight sigh, "I love you, Derek, thank you for staying with me."

"I wouldn't have it any other way." Derek said opening the door. "Let's go home and pretend tonight never happened."

"That sounds fine." La sigh. As Derek drove back to Florida, Lan fell asleep dreaming about her new family. Who cares what Maria and Peter thought? She was happy now and that was all that mattered


	12. Caught

November 11, 2001  
Week 25  
  
Chloe rubbed Lan's back as they walked down the street. Lan's mood had slowly grown quiet after her experience with her parents. The holidays were coming up. The weather was colder. Luckily Debbie Barnes welcomed Lan and the twins with open arms.  
"So, what are we doing?" Chloe asked.  
"Well, Derek and Jason are scopeing gout that Dancing body parts thingy so they'll be gone for awhile. I decided to get Mrs. Barnes a present." Lan said, "I have no idea what to get her..."  
"And that's where I come in." Chloe chuckled.  
"You're so smart." Lan chuckled.  
"How about some grandmothery type thing." She said, "They have baby books made especially for the grandparents."  
"Thats good..." She said, "I like that, but I need to get more."  
"Let's go in here." Chloe pulled Lan into a gift store.   
The two woman looked through the aisle of the sort of pricey store. Lan looked at a display of crystal vases. Chloe called her name out and Lan turned around, but her large belly bumped into the display and knocked two vases over. Lan gasped.  
"Oh god." She covered her mouth. Chloe rushed over to her.  
"What happened?"  
"The twins happened." Lan frowned, "Those vases were expensive." The store clerk rushed over to them.  
"What happened??" He cried.  
"I...I turned around...and...my stomach." Lan stuttered.  
"You broke them. You bought them." He said.  
"I can't afford to buy them!" Lan cried. Chloe bit her lip.  
"You're not leaving the store until you've bought them." he said.  
"How much do we owe you?" Chloe asked.  
"Seven hundred and fifty dollars." She stared at the Man and pulled Lan over to the side.  
"How much money do you have?" She asked.  
"F-Fifty." She said as her eyes started to fill p with tears.  
"Shit....me too." Chloe bit her lip and walked back to the man. "We only have a hundred dollars."  
"Give me six hundred and fifty more and you can leave." He said.  
"We don't have it." She said.  
"Then you dont leave." Lan started to cry.  
"Youre going to deny a pregnant woman of twins her freedom?" Chloe asked.  
"Until I get my money, YES!" The clerk yelled. Chloe growled and led the sobbing Lan over to a chair.  
"Wh-What am I going to do?"   
"On the count of three run." Chloe said.  
"what?"  
"One...Two...Three." Chloe and Lan bolted from the store but didn't get to far when two police officers stepped in front of them. "Shit."  
  
* * *  
  
Derek and Jason walked up the steps of the police station.  
"I can't believe she got arrested." Jason laughed. Derek smiled.  
"Don't say anything. Lan's pregnant...Therefor pregnancy hormones." he said walking into the station. Jason nodded.  
"Right. we can still tease Chloe right?" he asked.  
"Of course." Derek smiled looking around the station. he saw Chloe and Lan handcuffed to the bench. "If I had known you were into the kinky stuff, Lan, I would have bought you handcuffs awhile ago."  
"Sh-Shut up." Lan sobbed.  
"Hey guys, I paid bail." Jason said.  
"Thank the lord." Chloe groaned as an officer came up to the and unlocked the girls.  
"So, what were you doing breaking glass?" Derek asked.  
"I was trying to find a gift for you mom." She sniffed.  
"You dont need to get her anything." He said putting his arm around her shoulder.  
"I just wanted to be nice." She said.  
"Shes getting two granddaughters soon." Derek said, "Shes happy. Let's go home and soak in a bath."  
"I don know if I can fit in the bath anymore." Lan whined.  
"Then we'll take a shower together. I'll was your hair and your back and you can was my hair and my back."  
"Gee thanks." Lan giggled as they all walke dout of the precinct. Today had been a long day. That nice shower didn't sound half bad to Lan. 


	13. Two peas out of a pod

****

December 24, 2001

Week 32

It was nearing the end of the pregnancy for Lan. She was getting bigger everyday. Her feet swelled even more lately. Her back ached even more lately. The twins had stopped moving as much because they were running out of room. Everyone was ready for the twins. Everyone except Derek.

He was terrified. He was scared the he wouldn't be able to provide for the twins. Sure Lan had a great job, but she was on maternity leave and let's face it. The freaky cases didn't pay much if anything. He hated the idea of charging his clients, but he had no choice. He had two daughters to feed, clothe, and keep a roof over their heads.

"Derek." Lan moaned from the bedroom. Derek stared at the ground, "Derek, I need you."

"Why?" He called out.

"I'm having really bad contractions." She groaned. Derek jumped up.

"What? It's too early." He ran into the bedroom helping Lan up from the bed.

"No shit." She groaned. Derek rubbed her back.

"Are you sure we need to go to the hospital?" He asked. Lan keeled over with another contraction. "I guess that answered my question." He helped her to the living room. "Let me get the hospital bag."

"O-Okay." Lan moaned. This couldn't be it. It was too early. They were only thirty-two weeks along. Derek rushed back in.

"All right. Come on." He said, "Let's go."

Within twenty minutes, Derek and Lan were in the emergency room. Her doctor had been paged and the nurses were running around. People were mumbling things about the Barnes twins.

"All right, Lan, we're moving you upstairs to a private room." Nurse Harrison said, "You're in for a long night."

"Is this it?" Lan asked softly.

"We want to bring you upstairs and evaluate you first all right?" The nurse asked.

"Okay." A pain tore through Lan's abdomen. She gasped gripping Derek's hand. She felt like she was peeing herself now, b couldn't stop, "Oh god…My water just broke." Nurse Harrison nodded.

"Get her upstairs and get housekeeping down here." Lan's eyes welled up with tears.

"Its too early." She sobbed. "Its t-too early." Derek kissed her.

"It'll be okay, Lan." He whispered, "This is a good hospital."

__

December 24, 2001

3:33 p.m.

Derek caressed Lan's forehead. It had been seven and a half-hours since Lan first started having the serious contractions. Lan was in pain but she had refused any kind of drugs. Chloe stood in the doorway.

"How is she doing?" She asked.

"Managing to get some sleep, but she sin pain." Derek said.

"She's in labor." Chloe said moving into the room and sitting down, "I don't think I could do the twin thing."

"Me either." He chuckled.

"Is your mother coming?" Chloe asked.

"Yeah. I called her. She should be here in an hour." He said, "Lan's parents on the other hand, don't give a shit. They hung up on me."

"I can't believe them." Chloe sighed softly, "Have you guys thought of any names?"

"Sure have." Derek grinned.

"And they are?" Chloe asked.

"It's a secret." Derek said, "Not until they're born will the born know their names."

"Very sneaky." Chloe chuckled as Lan stirred.

"Hey bay. How are you feeling?" Derek asked softly.

"Like I have two humans trying to claw their way out of me." She moaned. Derek smiled weakly and kissed her forehead.

"My little aliens." He smiled. Lan groaned looking at Chloe.

"Why are you here?" She asked. Chloe smiled.

"My best girlfriend is having babies." She grinned. Lan smiled weakly as another contraction tore through her body. Derek bit her lip.

__

December 24, 2001

8:45 p.m.

Lan was now sitting in the hospital bed moaning as the pains got closer and more intense. Debbie Barnes sat by her bedside rubbing her back.

"I d-don't know how much more I can take." Lan groaned.

"Shhh, sweetheart. It'll be okay." Debbie said, "I remember how hard it was for me. You just need to think how great the out come will be."

"I'm so fucking tired of people saying that shit!!" Lan hissed. Debbie smiled weakly looking at Derek. 

"Get her some icechips." Debbie said. Derek nodded and ran to get them. She continued to rub her back, "Are you sure don't want an epidural?"

"I'm sure." Lan whispered laying back down, "I just want this over with. I want the girls here."

"I know you do baby." She said, "Within a few hours I'm sure they will be here."

"It's been over twelve hours." Lan moaned.

"I know, Sweetheart, Its almost over I hope." Debbie said, "Adam and Derek took me twenty hours." Lan moaned louder. Debbie chuckled softly. "You're progressing nicely. I'm sure it wont take you that long. You may have Christmas morning babies."

"I forgot it was Christmas." Lan said. "I have a couple of Christmas presents."

"Two of the most wonderful Christmas presents." Debbie grinned, "I had New Years presents."

"Is it hard?" Lan asked.

"Is what hard sweetheart?"

"Being a mom." Lan said, "I'm so scared. I don't know if I can do it."

"Of course you can. You're a woman. We can do anything." Debbie grinned as another contraction tore through her body. She clutched Debbie's hand tightly. Derek walked in.

"Is she okay?" He asked.

"Get her doctor." Debbie said.

__

December 25, 2001

2:27 am

"Oh fuck." Lan groaned loudly as the doctor got his gloves on.

"Are the incubators warmed up? He asked.

"Yes, Doctor." Nurse Harrison said.

"How are you doing, Lan?" The doctor asked.

"Get these fucking babies out of me" She cried loudly as she tried to breath. The doctor chuckled softly, "I need to push. I have to!!"

"All right, Lan." The doctor said, "Go ahead."

"You can do it, L." Derek kissed her temple. Lan took a deep breath and pushed with all she could. She could feel twin A crowning. Nurse Harrison smiled softly.

"That was great, Lan." She smiled, "A few more of those and you will have one daughter here."

"Good." Lan groaned. Derek kissed her again.

"Baby, you're doing it." He said. "They'll be here before you know it." The doctor sat between Lan's legs.

"You ready to push again?" He asked. Lan nodded. She took a deep breath in, "All right. Push Lan. One…. Two…. Three…. Good girl…..Six…. Seven…. Eight…nine and ten." Lan cried out loudly, "That was beautiful. Her head is coming-out."

"God, it hurts so much." She groaned.

"I know." Debbie said biting her lip. "You can do it, Darling."

"Push again, Lan." The Doctor said. Lan took in a deep breath once again and pushed with all her might. Pain tore through her. Hot blinding pain pulled at her groin. So much pressure. Lan could barely take it, but all of a sudden it was gone. The nurses pushed the incubator to Lan. The doctor and nurse talked in some medical jargon. 

"Is she okay??" Lan asked.

"Let's get the other baby." The doctor said.

"Is she okay?" Derek asked.

"She's very small. Her lungs aren't developed yet/ She needs to be put on a respirator to help her breath." The doctor said.

"Oh god." Lan sobbed.

"She's one pound three ounces the nurse called out. Lan's lip quivered. She was so tiny. She looked over to the incubator, but she couldn't see her daughter. Lan just wanted to make sure se was okay.

"Ready for the next one, Lan?" The doctor asked.

"Oh…There's more." Lan whimpered. She was so tired. Derek kissed her forehead.

"They'll be okay, Baby." He whispered as Lan started to push with her next contractions.

"Christ." She groaned as she pushed, "I really hate you Derek,"

"I know, Sweetie." He said, "You're doing great." Lan continued to push. This one was easier, but it was still painful. She could feel the baby coming.

"Oh god…Oh god." She moaned.

"Doing great, Lan." The doctor said, "One more push." Lan gritted her teeth and felt the baby leave her body. The nurses rushed over and tended to the baby. Derek didn't even get to cut the cord like they had plan. The twins were wheeled out of the room

"Wait! Where are they going??" Lan cried.

"They're going to the NICU." He said.

"I want to see them." Lan said, "I haven't seen them yet." Tears streamed down her face.

"They need to be put n respirators Lan. They need t breath." The doctor said following the twins making sure they got there. Nurse Harris stayed there cleaning up Lan and making sure everything was in order. Derek held Lan tightly.

"Oh god, D-Derek." She sobbed.

"They'll be okay." He whispered. "They'll be okay."

__

December 25, 2001

12:37 p.m.

Derek stood in front of the NICU window looking at the extremely tiny babies in the incubators. Tubes and wires were hooked up to his daughters. His heart was aching. Chloe walked up behind him.

"How are they?" She asked. Derek shook his head.

"Not good. They'll be here for a couple of months if they….." He couldn't say it. If they lived. Chloe sighed.

"They're beautiful, Derek." She said. Derek nodded looking at them, "How's Lan?"

"Distraught." He said. Chloe bit her lip Nothing she would say would make anything better for Derek.

"So, What did you name those beauties?" She asked with a smile. Derek looked at her and smiled weakly.

"That one is Tatiana Rose and that one is Georgia Lee." He said.

"Those are fine names." Chloe smiled.

"They're strong names." He said softly.

"Strong names for strong babies." Chloe hugged him looking at the babies struggling for life. Time would tell.

Would you like to be updated on all my fanfiction?

Would you like to know when my fic is updated and how it's coming along?

Well come join my list by e-mailing **TAK_Update@yahoogroups.com** or my sending me an e-mail at **ozspice04@yahoo.com** Thank you for your continue support. I look forward to your future comments. I love reading the reviews and e-mails. It lets me know people actually read my fiction, whether they like it or not.


	14. Time Will Tell

****

January 7, 2002

Georgia and Tatiana were not improving. Over the past two weeks, Georgia only gained five ounces, but Tatiana gained a pound. They still couldn't breath on their own and they were being fed through a tube, although Tatiana was expected to be taken off the ventilator soon. The doctors said it was because of twin to twin transfusion. Tatiana was much healthier than Georgia was. She was the twin that had gotten most of the nutrients during the pregnancy. 

Lan was beside herself with worry and fear. They had been through so much; they couldn't loose their daughter's now. Derek sat next to their incubators. He put the Beanie babies Chloe had gotten them in there. They were basically the same size as the toys. Derek sighed deeply.

"Here." Chloe sat next to him with a cup of coffee, "Thought you could use this."

"Thanks." Derek said softly.

"They'll be okay, Derek." Chloe said. Derek's lips trembled.

"I-I can't loose them." He whispered, getting up and walking into the hallway. Chloe followed him.

"You won't." Chloe said patting his back, "No one will let that happen." Lan walked down the hallway. She smiled softly at Chloe as she walked into the nursery. "She looks so tired."

"I don't think I've seen her sleep since they were born." Derek sighed as a beeping noise came from the nursery.

"OH GOD!!!!" Lan screamed loudly. Derek dashed in, "She's not breathing!!! Georgia isn't breathing!!!!!" Derek's heart stopped beating. Not his baby. He ran out into the hallway.

"We need some help!!" He yelled. A nurse came jogging down the hallway and into the nursery. She grabbed Georgia's incubator and pushed it to the side. She grabbed the phone and paged their doctor. Lan cowered into Derek's chest.

Derek and Lan stood in the corner watching the doctor rush in and started tending to Georgia. The steady beeping pierced Derek's soul. He stared at the doctor grabbed small paddles. They were charging it to restart his daughter's lip. Derek's eyes fell onto Tatiana. Her tiny hand was clutching the beanie baby tightly. He looked back to his other daughter. Her tiny body jumped as the electricity jolted her heart. A steady beeping returned the room.

"Oh god." Lan whispered watching her daughter carefully. The doctor whispered something to the nurse and he took his gloves off. He walked to Derek and Lan.

"We were able to start her heart, but there is no response from her." He said, "I am going to keep her under close observation."

"Sh-She…Shes not awake?" Derek croaked out. He shook his head.

"Not yet. Go be with her, touch her, sing to her. Maybe she will wake up." He said, "This is a critical time for her. Tatiana is strong and will probably be home in a month or two, but Georgia is bad."

"Will she…make it?" Derek asked.

"Time will tell." The doctor said softly walking back to check on Georgia. Lan looked at Derek.

"If I loose her Derek…."

"We won't." Derek hugged Lan tightly. "We won't loose her."

*****

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Well come join my list by e-mailing **TAK_Update@yahoogroups.com** or my sending me an e-mail at **ozspice04@yahoo.com** Thank you for your continue support. I look forward to your future comments. I love reading the reviews and e-mails. It lets me know people actually read my fiction, whether they like it or not.


	15. Home

****

February 7th, 2002

A month proved to be extremely well for the twins. Tatiana, who had been the weaker twins for so long, was now gaining weight rapidly. She now weighed three pounds seven ounces. Georgia was perfect. Weighing on five pounds three ounces. The doctors were releasing her today.

Derek picked his daughter up in his arms. The little girl stretched, looking at her father. Derek grinned.

"Hey there, Pumpkin." He smiled as Lan put her car seat down in front of Derek, "We're going home. Tatiana needs to stay here for a couple of more weeks, but for now you will get your room to yourself." Derek slid his tiny daughter into her car seat. Georgia looked at her father and yawned largely. Derek chuckled softly, "You'll be in bed as soon as we get home."

Lan and Derek glanced back at Tatiana. It was hard taking her sister away like this, but in a few weeks she would be coming home also. Derek buckled Georgia in safely in the back seat of the car. Going home, he went extremely slowly. He had precious cargo in his backseat. Normally the ride home would have taken ten minutes but today it took twenty minutes. 

"Georgia, welcome home." Lan whispered holding her daughter as they walked into the apartment. Derek grinned filming her entrance. There is your and Tati's cribs. There's the computer. You'll see daddy there all the tie." Derek chuckled softly.

"Mommy will be more there than me." He correctly.

"Possibly." She said putting Georgia in her crib, "Have we been getting any cases?" Derek shook his head.

"It's been pretty quiet. Jason and Chloe have been doing a great job running things. Maybe a little too good." He smiled peering over the side of Georgia's crib; "I can't believe she's home."

"I know." Lan smiled, "I should head back to the hospital. I don't want Tatiana there all alone."

"All right." Derek said kissing her forehead, "Call me if anything changes."

"You know I will." She smiled leaning over the side of Georgia's crib and kissing the pudgy cheek, "I'll be back later, pumpkin. I am going to be with Ana for awhile because she's still a little sick. Take care of your daddy."

"We'll be just fine." Derek grinned, "Go."

"I'm going. I'm going." Lan giggled giving Derek a wave. Once she was gone, Derek pulled Georgia from her crib.

"Just you and I, Baby girl." Derek smiled rocking back and forth holding his daughter. "Don't start screaming for mommy. This is going to be a wild ride from now on, Pumpkin. Mom always told me terror tales of having twins, now I get to experience it for myself." Georgia looked up at her father and drooled. Derek chuckled.

"I'm going to teach you all sorts of things." He whispered. "You're going to grow into such an amazing young woman." Derek ran his hand over the dark down on her head. It still was a shock to him. He was a father. Having Georgia home made it a reality. "I love you, Pumpkin." He whispered cradling his daughter in his arms. "I love you so much."

*****

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Well come join my list by e-mailing **TAK_Update@yahoogroups.com** or my sending me an e-mail at **ozspice04@yahoo.com** Thank you for your continue support. I look forward to your future comments. I love reading the reviews and e-mails. It lets me know people actually read my fiction, whether they like it or not.


	16. Discussing

****

February 23rd, 2002

Things were getting better. Tatiana was able to come home and Derek and Lan were now experiencing what life was like with twin's home. They never realized how hard it would be. Double diaper duty, double bottles, double criers. It was easier when all the nurses were helping them. Derek walked back and forth bouncing Tatiana in his arms

"It's really not that bad, Pumpkin, there's no reason to be screaming like that." He tried soothing her. Lan looked at Derek as she nursed Georgia in her arms.

"Why don't you try a bottle." She suggested with a smile.

"A bottle. Right." Derek said shuffling to the kitchen. He found a bottle in the fridge and he offered it to Tatiana. She eagerly took it.

"Hey there." Jason smiled as he and Chloe walked in.

"Oh hey." Derek said. "Can you feed her while I log on? I need to update the site." Jason frowned slightly as Derek shoved the feeding baby into his arms.

"AH…sure." Jason looked down at Tatiana with a soft smile.

"She won't break." Chloe laughed as Derek opened up the site.

__

Hey freaksters! I know I know. I have been very quiet, but never fear. D-Man is here. There have been no new cases lately. I think, people are afraid to give cases to a man with screaming twins. LOL.

Never the less, please come on people. I have three mouths to feed beside myself. I want cases. I need cases. Jason and Chloe need something to do. You don't want them to go to real jobs do you? J 

Thank you for all the e-mails about Tatiana and Georgia. They both are fine and both screaming at the moment. Jason is trying to feed Georgia, but I think she has other ideas. LOL. Lan was breastfeeding, but…I shouldn't have told you all that huh? I put up a family picture on the about maintainer section. Go have a look at my three beautiful women.

Derek sat back as he saved the text.

"You're done. Here." Jason handed him Georgia. Derek shook his head and bottle-fed her.

"So, tell me." Derek said, "Has there been any little cases? Anything at all?" Jason and Chloe both shook their heads.

"I don't know what's wrong." Chloe said, "Maybe we should make a commercial."

"We're not the Ghostbusters." Jason said. Chloe sat up.

"We basically are." Chloe said.

"She has a point." Lan said, "A commercial might be a good idea. I can work on some graphics if you want. Maybe a slogan."

"A slogan…a catchy jingle. It this what Freaky Links has come to?" Derek sighed kissing Georgia's head.

"Ghost and Goblins and things that go bump in the night. Freaky links comes to take care of that fright." Chloe sang. They all stared at her. She cleared her throat, "Or something like that." Derek sighed softly.

"We do need clients." He said, "Lan, you come up with a new logo and Jason and Chloe will come up with the song."

"And what are you going to do?" Lan cocked her eyebrow.

"Redesign the website." Derek said. 

"All right." Lan stood up with the baby in her arms; "How about we all meet back here at noon of Friday with everything we have. Jas, you're good with the music so have a tape ready and please don't let Chloe sing."

"Hey." She chuckled standing up.

"All right." Jason said. "Friday at noon we should have freaky links back up and running." They all grinned. Little did they know this was going to be a long road.

*****

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Well come join my list by e-mailing **TAK_Update@yahoogroups.com** or my sending me an e-mail at **ozspice04@yahoo.com** Thank you for your continue support. I look forward to your future comments. I love reading the reviews and e-mails. It lets me know people actually read my fiction, whether they like it or not.


End file.
